mystacial

English

Etymology

From Ancient Greek μύσταξ (mústax) +‎ -ial. Compare moustachial.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mɪsˈteɪʃəl/, /mɪsˈteɪʃi.əl/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

Adjective

mystacial (not comparable)

1. Having a fringe of hairs suggestive of a moustache.
2. Pertaining to the area around the vibrissae on either side of the muzzle of a mammal such as a rodent or cat.
   • 1993, Thomas A. Jefferson, Stephen Leatherwood, Marc A. Webber, Marine Mammals of the World, →ISBN, page 282:

     The mystacial pads are large and fleshy, extending beyond the nostrils.

   • 2012, Issues in Anatomy, Physiology, Metabolism, Morphology, and Human Biology, →ISBN:

     The vibrissal system of the rat is an example of active tactile sensing, and has recently been used as a prototype in construction of touch-oriented robots. Active vibrissal exploration and touch are enabled and controlled by musculature of the mystacial pad.

   • 2012, Peter J. Snow, Peter Wilson, Plasticity in the Somatosensory System of Developing and Mature Mammals, →ISBN, page 150:

     Harbor seals use their mystacial vibrissae in a cold environment.

   • 2015, Maria Z. Siemionow, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, →ISBN:

     In group I (anatomic study group, n=8), Lewis rats were subject to harvesting technique trialing and the mystacial vascular network was drawn

Translations

Translations

• French: mystaciale (fr)

Noun

mystacial (plural mystacials)

1. Any of the large rigid whiskers (vibrissae) that appear on the fleshy pads on either side of the muzzle of an animal such as a cat or rodent.

   During the third week, the mystacials and ulnarcarpals are the first to form.

   • 1959, Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, page 94:

     Pocock (1926, pp. 1040-41) described the facial vibrissae in the adult animal and he too found that the mystacials are greatly reduced in number and length, a condition which is common to all the ant-eating mammals (Pocock, 1914).

   • 1999, Wild Discovery Guide to Your Cat:

     The superciliary whiskers above the eyes and the genal whiskers on the cheeks are less rigid and distinctly less mobile than the mystacials.

   • 2012, John W. S. Bradshaw, Rachel A. Casey, Sarah L. Brown, The Behaviour of the Domestic Cat, →ISBN, page 21:

     The large amount of nervous tissue devoted to processing and integrating information coming from the mystacials indicates their importance as sense organs, perhaps most importantly when the snout is being directed towards prey.