| Patella | ‖n.; pl. Patellæ [ L., a small pan, the kneepan, dim. of patina, patena, a pan, dish. ] 1. A small dish, pan, or vase. [ 1913 Webster ] 2. (Anat.) The kneecap; the kneepan; the cap of the knee. [ 1913 Webster ] 3. (Zool.) A genus of marine gastropods, including many species of limpets. The shell has the form of a flattened cone. The common European limpet (Patella vulgata) is largely used for food. [ 1913 Webster ] 4. (Bot.) A kind of apothecium in lichens, which is orbicular, flat, and sessile, and has a special rim not a part of the thallus. [ 1913 Webster ] |
