Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

reniform

/ˈɹɛnəˌfɔɹm/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.89 in modern English

Syllables: ren-i-form
IPA: /ˈɹɛnəˌfɔɹm/

13

Scrabble Score

8

Letters

3

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Synonym of kidney-shaped (“having an approximately circular or elongated ovoid shape with an inward curve or indentation on one side”).

adj

Synonym of kidney-shaped (“having an approximately circular or elongated ovoid shape with an inward curve or indentation on one side”).

Example Sentences

"intussusception with a reniform appearance"
"multiple reniform circumscribed fat-containing masses"
"The Bean […] is oval, and not at all reniform'd like the Kidney-Beans."
"[T]he antheræ are reniform: the germen is oval, and obtuſely trigonal; […]"
"In one of the ſegments of the lovver portion of the kidney, there vvas a large reniform Papillæ, in the outer circumference of vvhich a ſmall part of the papillary fleſh vvas vvanting. […] In the oppoſite ſegment, there vvas a fourth reniform Papilla, reſembling the firſt; […]"
"The oxyde of cobalt, […] is found either ſuperficial, interſperſed, or in lumps; ſometimes botryoidal or reniform or bearing particular impreſſions."

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin rēnis (the genitive singular of rēn (“kidney”); see further at that entry) + English -form (suffix meaning ‘having the form or shape of’), modelled after New Latin rēnifōrmis (“of seeds: kidney-shaped”).

Word Breakdown

Root: rēnifōrmis

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈɹɛnəˌfɔɹm/
British English: /ˈɹɛnɪfɔːm/

Derived Forms

obreniform reniformly semireniform subreniform

Frequently Paired Words

renal obreniform

Synonyms

kidney-shaped

Questions

How do you pronounce reniform?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈɹɛnəˌfɔɹm/.
What does reniform mean?: Synonym of kidney-shaped (“having an approximately circular or elongated ovoid shape with an inward curve or indentation on one side”).
Where does reniform come from?: Learned borrowing from Latin rēnis (the genitive singular of rēn (“kidney”); see further at that entry) + English -form (suffix meaning ‘having the form or shape of’), modelled after New Latin rēnifōrmis (“of seeds: kidney-shaped”).

How to pronounce reniform

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Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈɹɛnəˌfɔɹm/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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