anular

Anular is an adjective of Latin origin meaning ring-shaped. In English, the standard form is annular; anular is much less common and typically appears only as a variant spelling in older texts or in non-English contexts. The root is the Latin anulus, meaning a small ring.

In scientific and technical usage, annular describes anything that has the form of a ring or a ring-shaped component. The term appears in anatomy, astronomy, geology, and botany. A common related noun is annulus, referring to a ring-shaped structure or zone; for example, the annulus fibrosus is the tough ring surrounding the intervertebral disc. In astronomy, annular eclipse denotes a solar eclipse in which the Moon covers the Sun's center but not its edges, producing a bright ring around the silhouette. Some older or non-English texts may spell the term as anular, but annular is the recognized English form.

In other languages, notably Spanish, anular is a verb meaning to cancel or annul something, such as an appointment or a bill. The related noun anulación denotes cancellation or annulment.

See also: annulus; annulate; annular (disambiguation).