3. (Anat.) Pertaining to a funiculus; made up of, or resembling, a
funiculus, or funiculi; as, a funicular ligament.
Funicular action (Mech.), the force or action exerted by a rope in
drawing together the supports to which its ends are Fastened, when
acted upon by forces applied in a direction transverse to the rope, as
in the archer's bow. -- Funicular curve. Same as Catenary. -- Funicular
machine (Mech.), an apparatus for illustrating certain principles in
statics, consisting of a cord or chain attached at one end to a fixed
point, and having the other passed over a pulley and sustaining a
weight, while one or more other weights are suspended from the cord at
points between the fixed support and the pulley. -- Funicular polygon
(Mech.), the polygonal figure assumed by a cord fastened at its
extremities, and sustaining weights at different points.
Fu*nic"u*late (?), a. Forming a narrow ridge.
||Fu*nic"u*lus (?), n.; pl. Funiculi (#). [L., a little cord. See
||Funicle.] 1. (Anat.) A cord, baud, or bundle of fibers; esp., one of
||the small bundles of fibers, of which large nerves are made up;
||applied also to different bands of white matter in the brain and
||spinal cord.
2. (Zoˆl.) (a) A short cord which connects the embryo of some myriapods
with the amnion. (b) In Bryozoa, an organ extending back from the
stomach. See Bryozoa, and Phylactolema.
Fu*nil"i*form (?), a. [L. funis rope + -form.] (Bot.) Resembling a cord
in toughness and flexibility, as the roots of some endogenous trees.
||Fu"nis (?), n. [L., a rope. ] A cord; specifically, the umbilical
||cord or navel string.
Funk (?), n. [OE. funke a little fire; akin to Prov. E. funk touchwood,
G. funke spark, and perh. to Goth. f&?;n fire.] An offensive smell; a
stench. [Low]
Funk, v. t. To envelop with an offensive smell or smoke. [Obs.] King.
Funk, v. i. 1. To emit an offensive smell; to stink.
2. To be frightened, and shrink back; to flinch; as, to funk at the
edge of a precipice. [Colloq.] C. Kingsley.