The Collaborative International Dictionary
Fusiform \Fu"si*form\, a. [L. fusus spindle + -form: cf. F. fusiforme.] Shaped like a spindle; shaped like a cylinder that tapers at each end; as, a fusiform root; a fusiform cell.
Syn: cigar-shaped. [1913 Webster]
Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
Wiktionary
a. (context chiefly botany zoology English) Shaped like a spindle with yarn spun on it; having round or roundish cross-section and tapering at each end.
WordNet
adj. tapering at each end [syn: spindle-shaped, cigar-shaped]
Wikipedia
Fusiform means having a spindle-like shape that is wide in the middle and tapers at both ends. It may refer to:
- Fusiform, a body shape common to many aquatic animals, characterized by being tapered at both the head and the tail
- Fusiform, a classification of aneurysm
- Fusiform cell, in botany
- Fusiform face area, a part of the human visual system which seems to specialize in facial recognition
- Fusiform gyrus, part of the temporal lobe of the brain
- Fusiform muscle, where the fibres run parallel along the length of the muscle
- Fusiform neuron, a spindle-shaped neuron
Usage examples of "fusiform".
It was necessary, however, first to allow them to land, for with their close, short hair, and their fusiform conformation, being excellent swimmers, it is difficult to catch them in the sea, while on land their short, webbed feet prevent their having more than a slow, waddling movement.
There's a gyrus in the brain called the fusiform gyrus, for example, which lets you recognize and remember faces.