I. kyüˈnēə̇ˌfȯrm, ˈkyünēə̇ˌ-, ˈkyünə̇ˌ- adjective
Etymology: probably from French cunéiforme, from Middle French, from Latin cuneus wedge + Middle French -iforme -iform — more at culex
1. : of, relating to, or being any of several somewhat wedge-shaped chiefly skeletal elements: as
a. : any of three small bones of the tarsus lying between the navicular and the first three metatarsals
b. : the pyramidal bone of the wrist
c. : either of a pair of rods of yellow elastic cartilage lying in the arytenoepiglottic folds of the larynx
2. of a human skull : wedge-shaped as viewed from above — used of a head type not uncommon in the Mediterranean subrace
3.
a. : composed of strokes having the form of a wedge or arrowhead — used of the characters employed in a system of writing in which the strokes are formed by the impression of a stylus in soft clay or are written in some other medium but with strokes in imitation of ones impressed on clay
b. : written in cuneiform characters — used of a document or of a language
c. : made up of cuneiform characters
tablets … were written in an alphabetic cuneiform script — L.A.Weigle
II. noun
1. : cuneiform writing
2. : a cuneiform part ; specifically : a cuneiform bone or cartilage
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cuneiform 1
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