spiculum

Estimated CEFR level: C2 — Proficiency

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

noun small pointed structure serving as a skeletal element in various marine and freshwater invertebrates e.g. sponges and corals

From Latin spīculum (“a little sharp point”), from spīcum, alternative form of spīca (“point, spike”).

It publishes itself in creatures, reaching from particles and spicula, through transformation on transformation to the highest symmetries, arriving at consummate results without a shock or a leap. — Essays by Ralph Waldo Emerson, Ralph Waldo Emerson

spicule

Type a word, a sentence, a book title, or a link to an English article. WordNet and the Classics answer.

Try

A library of classics · a vault of words · instant etymology & meaning