multilobate

Multilobate is an adjective meaning consisting of or having multiple lobes. It derives from the prefix multi- meaning many, and lobate, from Latin lobatus, meaning “having lobes.” The term is used in various scientific fields to describe morphology where a structure is divided into several protruding portions.

In botany, multilobate describes leaves, petals, or other organs that have more than two lobes. The lobes may be shallow or deeply separated, and their arrangement can be palmately or pinnately lobed. The term helps distinguish forms that are otherwise similar but differ in the degree of lobing.

In anatomy and histology, multilobate can describe cells or nuclei with several lobes, most notably the segmented nuclei of neutrophils, which typically have three to five lobes connected by slender filaments.

In geology or paleobiology, multilobate can describe landforms or fossils with multiple lobes or projections, such as certain shorelines, glacial moraines, or coral/calcite structures exhibiting lobed margins.

The term is often used descriptively in field guides and taxonomic keys where precise measurement of lobation matters for identification, though exact definitions of what counts as a distinct lobule can vary by discipline.