— incunabular , adj.
/in'kyoo nab"yeuh leuh, ing'-/ , n.pl., sing. incunabulum /-leuhm/ .
1. extant copies of books produced in the earliest stages (before 1501) of printing from movable type.
2. the earliest stages or first traces of anything.
[ 1815-25; incuna ( re ) to place in a cradle ( in- IN- 2 + * -cunare, v. deriv. of cunae cradle) + -bula, pl. of -bulum suffix of instrument; def. 1 as trans. of G Wiegendrucke ]