Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Tapering at each end: Having a shape that is elongated and rounded in the middle, with both ends narrowing to a point, similar to the form of a spindle used in spinning thread.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • The fish had a spindle-shaped body, perfect for swift movement through the water.
  • Under the microscope, the bacterial cells appeared spindle-shaped.

Advanced Usage

• In Botany: Used to describe plant parts, like roots or fruits, that are thick in the middle and taper toward both ends.
  • The tuber was spindle-shaped, unlike the round potatoes we usually see.
• In Anatomy and Zoology: Describes muscles, cells, or entire organisms with this characteristic form.
  • Spindle-shaped muscle fibers are common in certain types of tissue.

Variants and Related Words

• Fusiform (adj): A technical synonym, especially common in biological and medical contexts, meaning spindle-shaped.
  • The surgeon noted the fusiform aneurysm on the scan.

Synonyms

• Fusiform
• Cigar-shaped (informal, when the tapering is very gradual)
• Elliptical (when broadly similar, though not precisely tapering to points)

Antonyms

• Cylindrical (having a uniform diameter, not tapering)
• Spherical (round)
• Cuboid (box-shaped)

Adjective

1. tapering at each end