carnose

Carnose is an English adjective meaning flesh-like or meat-like in texture or appearance. The word derives from Latin carnosus, meaning fleshy, which itself comes from caro, carnis, meaning flesh, with the -ose suffix forming an adjective. In modern English it is rare and chiefly found in historical, literary, or technical writing.

In botanical and anatomical contexts, carnose has occasionally been used to describe tissues or organs that are notably fleshy. For example, a carnose fruit would have a soft, thick interior, or certain plant leaves may be described as carnose when they are fleshy and pliable. However, contemporary descriptions typically use terms such as fleshy or succulent instead of carnose, and the term is seldom employed in peer-reviewed science.

Because of its rarity, carnose is mostly encountered in glossaries, etymologies, or historical texts rather than in modern scientific literature. It is not a widely standardized term, and its precise sense can vary by author. Related adjectives include fleshy and succulent; the root carno- appears in other forms such as carnivorous or carnosity but with different meanings.