cotyledon
UK /ˌkɒt.ɪˈliː.dən/ · US /ˌkɑt.əˈliː.dən/ noun
Forms cotyledons
- noun (physiology) Each of the patches of villi on the foetal chorion in the placenta of ruminants and some other mammals.
- noun (botany) The leaf of the embryo of a seed-bearing plant; after germination it becomes the first leaves of the seedling.
Synonyms
Etymology
From Latin cotylēdōn, from Ancient Greek κοτυληδών (kotulēdṓn, “cup-shaped cavity”), from κοτύλη (kotúlē, “cup”).
Webster’s 1913
- noun One of the patches of villi found in some forms of placenta.
- noun A leaf borne by the caulicle or radicle of an embryo; a seed leaf.
Etymology [Gr.Cotyle.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “cotyledon”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details