1. Plural of carina; a keel-shaped anatomical structure or ridge, especially in biology and anatomy.
Usage: technical; anatomy; biology
2. In botany, the two lower petals of a papilionaceous flower that are fused together.
Usage: botany; technical

Examples

• The carinas of the trachea branch into the left and right main bronchi.
• Anatomists study the carinas present in various vertebrate species.
• The flower's carinas are characteristic of legume family members.
• Under the microscope, the carinas appeared as distinct ridge-like projections.
• The carinas in the respiratory system play an important role in airway branching.