globule
/'glɔbju:l/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- A tiny spherical drop or particle: A "globule" is a very small, round droplet or ball-shaped particle, often of a liquid.
- A small globe or ball: It refers to any minute, rounded object.
Usage
- The word "globule" is used to describe a minuscule, typically liquid, sphere. It often appears in scientific, medical, or descriptive contexts to emphasize the small, rounded shape of a substance.
- Example:
- Example:
Examples
Advanced Usage
- "Globules of light": A poetic or literary phrase describing small, round points of light.
- Globules of light from the street lamps shimmered on the wet pavement.
- In biology and medicine, "globule" can refer to specific structures, such as milk globules (fat droplets in milk) or certain blood components in historical contexts (e.g., , an older term for corpuscles).
Variants and Related Words
- Globular (adj): Shaped like a globe or ball; spherical.
- The plant has globular flower heads.
- Globulin (n): A type of protein found in blood plasma, named for its globular shape.
- Embolus (n): A different but related-sounding medical term for a clot or obstruction; not a variant but sometimes confused.
Synonyms
- Droplet: A very small drop of a liquid.
- Bead: A small, often round, ball of a substance (e.g., a bead of sweat).
- Pellet: A small, rounded, compressed mass of a substance.
- Sphere: A perfectly round geometrical object; "globule" implies a much smaller, often natural sphere.
Antonyms
- Slab: A broad, flat, thick piece.
- Sheet: A broad, flat, continuous surface or layer.
- Cube: A solid object with six square faces.
Notes on Meaning
- The primary and most common meaning is a small, spherical drop, especially of a liquid. Its use to mean any "small globe or ball" is more general but less frequent.
- The historical plural use ("globules") to mean blood cells (corpuscles) is now largely obsolete in modern scientific terminology.
Noun
- a small globe or ball