acantha

From Ancient Greek ἄκανθα (ákantha, “thorn”), from ἀκή (akḗ, “thorn”) +‎ ἄνθος (ánthos, “flower”).

• (General American) IPA^(key): /əˈkæn.θə/, /əˈkænt.θə/

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acantha (plural acanthas)

1. (botany) A prickle.
2. (zoology) A spine or prickly fin.
3. (anatomy) A spinous process of a vertebra.
   • 1968, Margaret Tallmadge May, Galen on the usefulness of the parts of the body‎, translation of original by Galen, page 581:

     Moreover, all the outgrowths which I have said constitute the acantha are not of equal size in all the vertebrae, and Nature has done this with wonderful forethought.

   • 1980, Renate Zauner, Speaking of Children's Posture Problems and the Injuries They Cause‎, page 55:

     Individual vertebral bodies (right) as seen from the side and from above. The acantha is the spiney projection on the right of each illustration: in the lower illustration the boney spinal canal is shown between the acantha and the vertebral body.

   • 2005, Michael Foeldi, Roman Strossenreuther, Foundations of Manual Lymph Drainage‎, page 73:

     Rotary strokes or stationary circles in the direction of the flank / Alternate from the acantha of the vertebral column in the direction of the flank (medial to lateral)

• acanthus