Imbricate
ɪmˈbrɪkeɪt
adjective
arranged like overlapping roof tiles; lying one over another in regular order
The term 'imbricate' comes from the Latin word 'imbricatus', meaning covered with tiles. In biology, the term is commonly used to describe plant parts or scales that overlap like roof tiles.
See how Charles Darwin uses "imbricate", with its meaning, pronunciation and a real book example.
Examples from books
Again, in another work he says, the genera of the Connaraceae "differ in having one or more ovaria, in the existence or absence of albumen, in the imbricate or valvular aestivation. Any one of these characters singly is frequently of more than generic importance, though here even, when all taken together, they appear insufficient to separate Cnestis from Connarus."
Charles Darwin
The Origin of Species
