tricusped

Tricusped is an adjective meaning having three cusps or points. It is derived from the Latin tri- meaning “three” and cuspis meaning “point” or “prick.” In contemporary use, the more common form is tricuspid; tricusped appears as a variant, typically in older texts or in descriptive phrases referring to objects with three cusps.

In anatomy, tricusped describes structures with three cusps. The best-known example is the tricuspid valve of the heart, which consists of three leaflets or cusps that regulate blood flow between the right atrium and right ventricle. The term can also be used more broadly to indicate any tissue or organ with three pointed projections.

Outside medicine, tricusped may be found in botany and dentistry to describe features with three cusps or projections, such as a tooth cusp or a plant structure with three pointed lobes or projections. In these contexts the term signals a three-pointed or three-cusped morphology rather than a specific anatomical function.

Usage notes: tricusped is less common in modern technical writing than tricuspid. When precision is important, tricuspid is generally preferred for heart valves and similar anatomical structures; tricusped may be used for nonstandard or descriptive purposes where three cusps are a defining feature.

See also: tricuspid, bicuspid, quadricuspid, cusp.