Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

lunate

/ˈluːneɪt/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.68 in modern English

Syllables: lu-nate
IPA: /ˈluːneɪt/

6

Scrabble Score

6

Letters

2

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Shaped like a crescent.

noun

A small stone artifact, probably an arrowhead, with a blunt straight edge and a sharpened, crescent-shaped back, especially characteristic of the Mesolithic Period.

noun

The lunate bone.

Example Sentences

"a lunate beak"

Etymology

First attested in 1777; borrowed from Latin lūnātus (“crescent-shaped”), from lūna (“moon”), see -ate (adjective-forming suffix).

Origin

First known use: First attested in 1777

Inflected Forms

more lunate (comparative) most lunate (superlative) lunates (plural)

Derived Forms

bilunate capitolunate lunated lunately perilunate postlunate prelunate radiolunate scapholunate semilunate sublunate

Phrases

lunate bone lunate sigma

Frequently Paired Words

scaphoid triquetrum pisiform hamate capitate trapezoid trapezium

Synonyms

crescent crescent-shaped semilunar

Questions

How do you pronounce lunate?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈluːneɪt/.
What does lunate mean?: Shaped like a crescent.
Where does lunate come from?: First known use: First attested in 1777.

How to pronounce lunate

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “lunate”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈluːneɪt/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “lunate”.
Repeat and practice — Say “lunate” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.