caruncle

noun

car·​un·​cle ˈker-ˌəŋ-kəl 

ˈka-ˌrəŋ-,

kə-ˈrəŋ- 

1

: a naked fleshy outgrowth (such as a bird's wattle)

2

: an outgrowth on a seed adjacent to the micropyle (see micropyle sense 1)

Examples of caruncle in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Center the fiber-optic front barrel bead (or crosshair or dot of an optic) just above the major caruncles, those fleshy, gaudy, beautiful red bubbles on the base of a gobbler’s neck. —Michael Hanback, Outdoor Life, 20 Apr. 2020

Here’s another fun fact: Male turkeys, called toms, have bald, featherless heads with all sorts of dangling skin flaps and knobs known as the snood, the wattle and caruncles. —Jason Bittel, Washington Post, 17 Nov. 2019

In the developing embryo, the beak originates near the caruncle and then gradually expands backward. —Nicholas St. Fleur, New York Times, 26 Sep. 2017

Beaked groups like birds and turtles have caruncles, but snakes and nearly all lizards do not. —Nicholas St. Fleur, New York Times, 26 Sep. 2017

Word History

Etymology

obsolete French caruncule, from Latin caruncula little piece of flesh, diminutive of caro flesh — more at carnal

First Known Use

1615, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Medical Definition

caruncle

noun

car·​un·​cle ˈkar-əŋ-kəl  kə-ˈrəŋ- 

: a small fleshy growth

specifically : a reddish growth situated at the urethral meatus in women and causing pain and bleeding see lacrimal caruncle