Combining form of L. tennis ‘thin, narrow, slender,’ in scientific use in adjectives, as tenuicostate [L. costa rib], having slender ribs; so tenuifasciate [L. fascia band], tenuiflorous [L. flōs, flōrem flower), tenuifolious [L. folium leaf], having narrow or thin leaves, tenuipede [L. pēs, ped-em foot], tenuistriate [L. stria groove], having slender striæ.
1860. Mayne, Expos. Lex., Tennicostatus,… *tenuicostate. Ibid., Tenuiflorus,… *tenuiflorous.
1657. Physical Dict., *Tenuifolious, thin leav’d.
1658. Sir T. Browne, Gard. Cyrus, iv. Why Coniferous trees are tenuifolious or narrow-leaved?
1860. Mayne, Expos. Lex., Tennifolius,… tenuifolious. Ibid., Tenuipes,… having the feet small and compressed: *tenuipede. Ibid., Tenuistriatus,… *tenuistriate.
