a. Nat. Hist. [ad. mod.L. lyrāt-us, f. lyra LYRE: see -ATE2.] Shaped like a lyre. In Bot., of a leaf: Pinnatifid, with the upper lobes much larger than the lower.
1760. J. Lee, Introd. Bot., III. v. (1765), 179. Lyrate, Lyre-shaped.
1785. Martyn, Rousseaus Bot., xxiii. (1794), 323. Winter Cress with lyrate leaves, the outmost lobe roundish.
1852. Dana, Crust., I. 86. Carapax lyrate.
18568. W. Clark, Van der Hoevens Zool., II. 652. Gazella Horns lyrate.
1870. Hooker, Stud. Flora, 30. Upper leaves toothed or lyrate.
1880. Huxley, Crayfish, v. 234. A characteristic lyrate mark upon the cephalic region of the carapace.
1893. Selous, Trav. S. E. Africa, 450. The elegant lyrate horns of the males.
b. Used in comb. with sense lyrate and , in lyrate-pinnate, -pinnatifid adjs. Also in quasi-L. form lyrato-.
1775. Jenkinson, Brit. Plants, Gloss., Lyrato-hastated, is shaped partly like a harp or lyre, and partly like a spear.
1806. J. Galpine, Brit. Bot., 96. Stipulæ lyrato-pinnatifid.
1845. Lindley, Sch. Bot., v. (1858), 60. Radical leaves lyrate-pinnate.
1847. W. E. Steele, Field Bot., 105. Leaves glabrous, or hairy, the radical ones lyrate-pinnatifid.