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Imbricated

1. Bent and hollowed like a roof or gutter tile.

2. Lying over each other in regular order, so as to break joints, like tiles or shingles on a roof, the scales on the leaf buds of plants and the cups of some acorns, or the scales of fishes; overlapping each other at the margins, as leaves in aestivation.

3. In decorative art: Having scales lapping one over the other, or a representation of such scales; as, an imbricated surface; an imbricated pattern.

Origin: L. Imbricatus, p.p. Of imbricare to cover with tiles, to form like a gutter tile, fr. Imbrex, -icis, a hollow tile, gutter tile, fr. Imber rain.