Consisting of a small cord or fiber. [1913 Webster]
Dependent on the tension of a cord. [1913 Webster]
Pertaining to a funiculus; made up of, or resembling, a funiculus, or funiculi; as, a funicular ligament. [1913 Webster]

Funicular action (Mech.), the force or action exerted by a rope in drawing together the supports to which its ends are Fastened, when acted upon by forces applied in a direction transverse to the rope, as in the archer's bow. -- Funicular curve. Same as Catenary. -- Funicular machine (Mech.), an apparatus for illustrating certain principles in statics, consisting of a cord or chain attached at one end to a fixed point, and having the other passed over a pulley and sustaining a weight, while one or more other weights are suspended from the cord at points between the fixed support and the pulley. -- Funicular polygon (Mech.), the polygonal figure assumed by a cord fastened at its extremities, and sustaining weights at different points.

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OXFORD DICTIONARY

funicular, adj. & n.
--adj.
1 (of a railway, esp. on a mountainside) operating by cable with ascending and descending cars counterbalanced.
2 of a rope or its tension.
--n. a funicular railway.

Etymology

L funiculus f. funis rope

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THESAURUS

funicular

Amtrak, baggage train, cable railroad, cable railway, cableway, capillary, choo-choo, cirrose, cirrous, cog railroad, cog railway, el, electric, electric train, elevated, express, express train, fibered, fibroid, fibrous, flagelliform, flier, flossy, freight, freight train, freighter, funicular railway, goods train, gossamery, hairlike, hairy, interurban, ligamental, lightning express, limited, local, metro, milk train, monorail, parliamentary, parliamentary train, passenger train, rack-and-pinion railroad, railroad train, rattler, rolling stock, rope railway, ropy, shuttle, shuttle train, silky, ski lift, special, streamliner, stringy, subway, taeniate, taeniform, telpher, telpher line, telpher ropeway, telpherway, threadlike, thready, train, tube, underground, way train, wire ropeway, wireway, wiry

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ROGET THESAURUS

funicular

Filament

N filament, line, fiber, fibril, funicle, vein, hair, capillament, cilium, cilia, pilus, pili, tendril, gossamer, hair stroke, veinlet, venula, venule, wire, string, thread, packthread, cotton, sewing silk, twine, twist, whipcord, tape, ribbon, cord, rope, yarn, hemp, oakum, jute, strip, shred, slip, spill, list, band, fillet, fascia, ribbon, riband, roll, lath, splinter, shiver, shaving, beard, ramification, strand, filamentous, filamentiferous, filaceous, filiform, fibrous, fibrillous, thread-like, wiry, stringy, ropy, capillary, capilliform, funicular, wire-drawn, anguilliform, flagelliform, hairy, taeniate, taeniform, taenioid, venose, venous.

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