Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Having or consisting of bristles; bristly.
  • adjective Resembling bristles or a bristle.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • In anatomy and zoology:
  • Bristly; setiform; having the character of a seta, chæta, or bristle.
  • Bristling; setiferous or setigerous; setose; provided with bristles or stiff, stout hairs.
  • In botany, bristle-shaped; having the character of setæ: as, a setaceous leaf or leaflet.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Set with, or consisting of, bristles; bristly.
  • adjective Bristelike in form or texture

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective of, relating to, or resembling a bristle or bristles; bristly

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective having or covered with protective barbs or quills or spines or thorns or setae etc.

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[set(a) + –aceous.]

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Examples

  • Many moths are christened only in Latin, but the lovely vernacular names, Joe said, date from the seventeenth century: one species that flocked to our trap that night was the relatively common setaceous hebrew character, so named to denote the hieroglyphic on its forewing.

    Wildwood Roger Deakin 2009

  • Many moths are christened only in Latin, but the lovely vernacular names, Joe said, date from the seventeenth century: one species that flocked to our trap that night was the relatively common setaceous hebrew character, so named to denote the hieroglyphic on its forewing.

    Wildwood Roger Deakin 2009

  • THYSANOTUS ELATIOR was again found here; and a shrubby CRUCIFEROUS plant, quite woody at the base, with very narrow linear setaceous pinnatifid leaves,173 and linear curved torulose silicules.

    Journal of an Expedition into the Interior of Tropical Australia 2003

  • The _leaf-blade_ is linear-lanceolate, rigid, erect, acuminate with a setaceous tip, nearly smooth, varying in length from 6 to 20 inches and in breadth from 1/6 to 2/3 inch.

    A Handbook of Some South Indian Grasses K. Rangachari

  • Ravens, quails, _minas_, sparrows, and a beautiful swallow were seen about the Soorkhab river; the latter, with metallic blue on the back of the head, crown of head tawny, tail short, two exterior feathers elongated into beautiful almost setaceous bodies, exceeding the length of the bird.

    Journals of Travels in Assam, Burma, Bhootan, Afghanistan and the Neighbouring Countries William Griffith

  • Bisetose - ous: with two bristle-like or setaceous appendages.

    Explanation of Terms Used in Entomology John. B. Smith

  • Head globose; antennæ longer than the body, and very slender and setaceous; the prothorax forming a slender neck; the anterior wings with one marginal and three submarginal cells; the femora slightly incrassate, not denticulate; the tarsi 5-jointed.

    Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society - Vol. 3 Zoology Various

  • Antennæ setaceous, simple, very slender, full half the length of the body.

    Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society - Vol. 3 Zoology Various

  • The dill is an annual plant, "with finely striated stems, usually one foot to one foot and a half in height, pinnate leaves with setaceous linear segments, and yellow flowers" (Enc. Bib.).

    The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume 1: Aachen-Assize 1840-1916 1913

  • The two endemic Rubi have the prickles reduced to the setaceous condition, and the two palms are unarmed.

    Darwinism (1889) Alfred Russel Wallace 1868

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