antheridium
|an-the-ri-di-um|
🇺🇸
/ˌænθəˈrɪdiəm/
🇬🇧
/ˌænθəˈrɪdɪəm/
male reproductive structure in lower plants
Etymology
'antheridium' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'antheridion', where the prefix/root 'anther-' meant 'flower' or 'anther' and the suffix '-idion' was a diminutive meaning 'small' or 'little'.
'antheridium' entered scientific English via New Latin (and modern botanical Latin) as 'antheridium', borrowed from Greek 'antheridion'; the form was used in biological literature from the 18th–19th centuries onward.
Initially formed from a Greek term meaning 'little anther/flower', the word's sense narrowed in scientific usage to refer specifically to the male reproductive organ (gametangium) of certain lower plants and some fungi.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the male sex organ (gametangium) of certain lower plants — such as many algae, mosses, ferns, and some fungi — that produces and releases sperm or non-motile male gametes.
In many moss species, antheridia develop on the same or different plants from the archegonia and release motile sperm that swim to fertilize eggs.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/08/23 21:58