falcator (falkator)

[ falcatum (fal-kā'tum), n.; pl. falcata (-tä). [ML., neut. of falcatus, hooked: see falcate.] A sickle-shaped sword, especially the falchion. falces, n. Plural of falx. falchion (fâl'chọn or -shon), n. [Formerly faulchion; an alteration, to bring it nearer the It. or ML. form, of ME. fauchon, fauchoun, fa choun, fawchun, etc., sharpened edge rounded gradually as far as the greatest width, which is about three fourths of the length blade from the hilt, and thence sharply curved to the point. (b) Having the back also curved, but in a concave curve, and more or le closely resembling the simitar, but distinguished from it by retaining the greatest width at a place near the point. Is noyther Peter the porter ne Poule with his fauchoune, That wil defende me the dore dynge ich neure so late. IMG:content-1045.png:[blocks in formation] Five falciform folds of the perisoma, more or le calcified, project into the cavity of the body. Huxley , Anat. Invert., p. 476. Falciform antennæ, in entom., antennæ in which the apical joints are gradually narrow, and together form an incurved terminal portion of the organ, something in the shape of a sickle. - Falciform bone, an acce ory o icle of the carpus of the mole. - Falciform cartilages, the semilunar cartilages of the knee. - Falciform ligament, in an at.: (a) The broad longitudinal suspensory ligament of the liver, consisting of two layers of peritoneum reflected from the under surface of the diaphragm, and containing the round ligament between them. ( b ) Either one of the horns or falcate edges of the saphenous opening of the fascia lat a of the thigh. - Falciform proce . Same as falx cerebri (which see, under falx ).