[ad. med.L. furcātus (of a hoof) cloven, f. L. furca fork.] Formed like a fork; forked or branched.
1819. G. Samouelle, Entomol. Compend., 248. Larva with its hinder legs converted into a furcate tail.
1826. Kirby & Sp., Entomol. (1828), III. xxix. 149. The furcate horn of the caterpillar of Parnassius Apollo.
1841–71. T. R. Jones, Anim. Kingd. (ed. 4), 729. The insect, being seized by its furcate extremity, is … brought between the jaws of its destroyer.
1870. Bentley, Bot., 148. A variety of venation may be therefore called Furcate or forked.
Hence Furcately adv. Also Furcato-, used as combining form = forkedly-.
1846. Dana, Zooph. (1848), 163. Segregato-gemmate, furcately ramose. Ibid., 511. Glomerate or furcato-ramose. Ibid., 669. Furcato-dichotomous, two feet high, axils arcuate.
