Meaning & use
reticulation
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Meanings
nouncountable or uncountable
A pattern of crossing lines, veins, or ridges that looks like a net.
Grammar: Uncountable for the general pattern, countable for particular examples.
Patterns
- the reticulation of something
The leaf showed a fine reticulation of veins.
Geologists studied the reticulation of cracks in the dried mud.
The glaze developed a delicate reticulation over many years.
noununcountableAustralianspecialist
A system of pipes or channels spread across an area to carry water or gas, especially in Australia and New Zealand.
Grammar: Typically uncountable: lawn reticulation, water reticulation.
Patterns
- a reticulation system
- reticulation of water
The council upgraded the reticulation of the town's water supply.
He installed garden reticulation with timers.
Gas reticulation reached the new suburb last year.
Word forms
| plural | reticulations |
|---|
Common combinations
- fine reticulation
- The wing had a fine reticulation of dark lines.
- reticulation of veins
- The reticulation of veins is clear on a held-up leaf.
- water reticulation
- Water reticulation pipes ran under the park.
- reticulation system
- The farmer repaired the reticulation system before summer.
- network of reticulation
- A network of reticulation ensures even watering.
Synonyms and how they differ
- network
- Network is the ordinary word for a web of connected lines, while reticulation sounds technical and stresses the net-like pattern.
- mesh
- Mesh suggests a regular woven structure, while reticulation can be irregular and natural.
- lattice
- Lattice usually means a regular crossed framework, whereas reticulation is often irregular.
- web
- Web evokes a spider's structure and is used figuratively, while reticulation stays descriptive.
Word family
- reticulate adjective
- marked with a net-like pattern
- reticulate verb
- to form or mark with a net-like pattern
- reticulated adjective
- arranged like a net, as in reticulated python
- reticule noun
- a small net bag, or crosshairs in an instrument
- reticular adjective
- like a net, often in anatomy
Commonly confused: reticulation or articulation? reticulation or reticence?
reticulation vs articulation
Articulation is clear speech or a joint, and has nothing to do with net-like patterns.
reticulation vs reticence
Reticence means reluctance to speak, a different word that merely looks similar.
Practice
The biologist noted the ___ of veins on the insect's wing, forming a net-like pattern.
Choose one answer.
Reticulation means a net-like pattern. Retaliation, reticence, and regulation sound similar but have unrelated meanings.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “reticulation”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.