from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Patella \Pa*tel"la\, n.; pl. {Patell[ae]}. [L., a small pan, the
kneepan, dim. of patina, patena, a pan, dish.]
1. A small dish, pan, or vase.
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2. (Anat.) The kneecap; the kneepan; the cap of the knee.
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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.
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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.
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