Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of Imbricate?

\Im"bri*cate\, Imbricated \Im"bri*ca`ted\, a. [L. imbricatus, p. p. of imbricare to cover with tiles, to form like a gutter tile, fr. imbrex, -icis, a hollow tile, gutter tile, fr. imber rain.] 1. Bent and hollowed like a roof or gutter tile. 2. Lying over each other in regular order, so as to ``break joints,'' like tiles or shingles on a roof, the scales on the leaf buds of plants and the cups of some acorns, or the scales of fishes; overlapping each other at the margins, as leaves in [ae]stivation. 3. In decorative art: Having scales lapping one over the other, or a representation of such scales; as, an imbricated surface; an imbricated pattern.
\Im"bri*cate\, v. t. To lay in order, one lapping over another, so as to form an imbricated surface.