ClimateAugust 16, 2026

fascicle

FAS-ih-kul

Definition

A small bundle or cluster, specifically used here to describe the grouping of needles on a pine tree.

Etymology

Derived from the Latin 'fasciculus,' meaning a small bundle, which is the diminutive form of 'fascis,' meaning a bundle or faggot.

In the news

The article uses the term to explain how to identify different pine species: Jeffrey pines have needles in bundles of three, while the high-elevation species they compete with have bundles of five.

A Gnarly Situation: High-Elevation Discovery Raises New Questions About Which California Trees Will Survive Climate Change

Read the full article ↗

The Good Men Project

Related words

Learn words like this every day

Meet new words every morning.

Newspoken pulls carefully chosen words from the day’s news — with clear definitions, context, and light review that makes them stick. Get it on your phone.