rete mirabile

noun

rete mi·​rab·​i·​le
-mə̇ˈrabəˌlē
plural retia mirabilia
-ˌmirəˈbilēə
: a small but dense network of blood vessels formed by the breaking up of a larger vessel into branches that usually reunite into one trunk and believed especially important as an oxygen-storing mechanism in aquatic mammals

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Latin, wonderful net

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Cite this Entry

“Rete mirabile.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rete%20mirabile. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.

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