Meaning & use
pyriform shape
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Meaning
nouncountabletechnicalbiology
A form or outline that is wide at one end and narrow at the other, like the shape of a pear.
Grammar: Countable: you can say a pyriform shape or the pyriform shape of the organ.
Patterns
- the pyriform shape of something
- have a pyriform shape
The gland has a pyriform shape, broad at the base and tapering toward the tip.
In the diagram, the pyriform shape of the organ is clearly labeled.
A pyriform shape is common in certain fruits and in parts of the human body.
Word forms
| plural | pyriform shapes |
|---|
Common combinations
- pyriform shape of the organ
- The pyriform shape of the organ helps it fit within the surrounding tissue.
- roughly pyriform
- The fruit is roughly pyriform, wider near the stem.
- pyriform lobe
- The pyriform lobe is part of the brain's olfactory system.
- pyriform fossa
- Food can get stuck in the pyriform fossa.
Synonyms and how they differ
- pear-shaped
- This is the everyday term; use it in general writing, while pyriform is the technical term.
- obovoid
- Obovoid is a more general botanical term for an egg shape with the narrow end at the base; pyriform specifically means pear-shaped.
Word family
- pyriform adjective
- Having the shape of a pear; the adjective form.
Commonly confused: pyriform shape or piriform? pyriform shape or poriform?
pyriform shape vs piriform
Piriform is a variant spelling of pyriform, especially in anatomy; both mean pear-shaped.
pyriform shape vs poriform
Poriform means having the form of a pore, which is quite different from pear-shaped.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'pyriform shape' correctly?
Choose one answer.
A pyriform shape is pear-shaped, wide at one end and narrow at the other, so option 1 fits. Option 0 is wrong because a circle is not pear-shaped; options 2 and 3 describe shapes that are not pear-like.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “pyriform shape”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.