[ ˌkɒljʊ'mɛlə ]
■ noun ( plural ~e -li: )
1》 Zoology an ossicle (small bone) of the middle ear of birds, reptiles, and amphibians.
↘ Anatomy the pillar around which the cochlea spirals.
2》 Zoology the axis of a spiral shell.
3》 Botany the axis of the spore-producing body of some lower plants.
Derivatives
~r adjective
Origin
C16: from L., 'small column'.