membered
- 1Having a specified number of members, such as the ring atoms in a molecular structure.
Pyridine forms a six-membered ring in which one nitrogen replaces a carbon.
Chemists often favor five-membered and six-membered rings because they tend to be especially stable.
Note
A chemist's counting word, almost never seen without a number joined to its front by a hyphen: a five-membered ring, a six-membered ring. What it counts is the atoms forming the ring itself, whatever elements they happen to be, so a ring of one nitrogen and five carbons is still six-membered. Because it is a count, it has no comparative: one ring cannot be more membered than another.
- 2Of a heraldic bird or beast, depicted with legs whose tincture differs from the tincture of the body.
On the coat of arms, the silver eagle is membered gules, its talons painted red.
Heralds rendered the swan membered sable to contrast with its white plumage.
Note
In blazon the word follows the bird and the color of its body, and the tincture of the legs comes after it. So an eagle gules membered or is a red eagle with gold legs. Heraldic description puts its adjectives after the noun, and the order here is fixed: the body's tincture first, then membered, then the color of the legs. The term belongs to birds.
Less common meaning
- 3Having limbs.
Practice
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Origin
Formed from "member" combined with the suffix "-ed".