Also 9 caruncule, and 8–9 in Lat. form caruncula. [ad. 16th c. F. caruncule ‘a little peece of flesh,’ Cotgr. (mod.F. caroncule), ad. L. caruncula, dim. of caro, carnem flesh.]
1. A small fleshy excrescence: applied in Anatomy to certain natural formations, as the lachrymal and urethral caruncles, the wattles of the turkey-cock, etc. In Pathol. formerly applied to a stricture.
1615. Crooke, Body of Man, 143. Caruncles or teats, with very fine perforations … opening into the … pipes of the Vreters.
1661. Lovell, Hist. Anim. & Min., Introd. A caruncle like a tongue.
1688. R. Holme, Armoury, II. 306/1. The Caruncles [are] knotty pieces of flesh, hanging about the Bill … as in Turky-cocks.
1720. Becker, in Phil. Trans., XXXI. 51. A Caruncle in the Urethra.
1794. G. Adams, Nat. & Exp. Philos., II. xvii. 255. At the inner corner of the eye … stands a caruncle.
1871. Darwin, Desc. Man, II. xii. 13. The fleshy caruncles on the heads of certain birds.
2. Bot. ‘An excrescence at or about the hilum of certain seeds’ (Gray).
1830. Lindley, Nat. Syst. Bot., 144. Having a remarkable tumour, called a caruncula, at one end of the seeds.
1870. Hooker, Stud. Flora, 328. Cuticle brown, caruncle large.
Hence Caruncled a. = CARUNCULATE.
1870. Hooker, Stud. Flora, 366. Seeds caruncled.
