rictal

adjective

ric·​tal ˈrik-tᵊl How to pronounce rictal (audio)
: of, relating to, or being a rictus
a rictal grin
… the female [bird] has a longer tail, wider bill, and more rictal bristles, for catching insects in midair.—Jared M. Diamond

Word History

First Known Use

1825, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of rictal was in 1825

Dictionary Entries Near rictal

ricotta

rictal

rictus

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Rictal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rictal. Accessed 31 Mar. 2023.

Copy Citation

Share

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of recuse

See Definitions and Examples »

Test Your Vocabulary

Challenging Standardized Test Words, Vol. 2

  • a pencil broken in half on top of a test answer sheet
  • The business’s new computer system proved not to be a panacea.
Spell It

Hear a word and type it out. How many can you get right?

TAKE THE QUIZ
Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can with using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.

Can you make 12 words with 7 letters?

PLAY
Words at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games