articulée

Articulée is the feminine form of the French adjective articulé. It is used to describe something that has joints, is composed of joints, or is capable of movement through articulation. The masculine form articulé is used with masculine nouns.

Etymology and scope: The word derives from the Latin articulus, meaning joint or a small part. In French, articulée appears across domains such as anatomy, biology, and engineering to convey the sense of being jointed or connected by joints. It can also describe mechanisms or structures designed to move in a coordinated way.

Typical usages and examples: In anatomy and biology, one might say a mâchoire articulée (a jaw with joints) or un membre articulé (an articulated limb). In engineering and industry, phrases such as un système articulé (an articulated system) or une chaîne articulée (an articulated chain) are common. The adjective agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies, so feminine singular nouns take articulée, while masculine forms take articulé (e.g., le bras articulé, la mâchoire articulée).

Distinctions and related terms: Articulation is the noun referring to a joint or the act of joining. Articulée, as an adjective, conveys the same root idea of jointed structure but emphasizes the feminine noun it modifies. In contrast, many contexts related to mobility use the masculine form articulé when referring to masculine nouns such as véhicule articulé (articulated vehicle) or système articulé.

See also: articulation (joint), articulated systems in engineering, articulated skeleton in biology.