cotyledony
|co-ti-le-do-ny|
🇺🇸
/ˌkoʊtɪˈliːdəni/
🇬🇧
/ˌkɒtɪˈliːdəni/
state of seed leaves
Etymology
'cotyledony' originates from Modern Latin and English formation based on 'cotyledon', where the Greek 'kotyledon' (κοτύληδον) meant 'small cup'.
'cotyledon' came from Greek 'kotyledon' (a diminutive of 'kotyle' meaning 'cup'), was adopted into Latin as 'cotyledon', entered scientific New Latin/English as 'cotyledon', and the English noun 'cotyledony' was later formed by adding the suffix '-y' to denote a state or condition.
Initially the root meant 'small cup' in Greek; over time the form 'cotyledon' came to mean the seed leaf of a plant, and 'cotyledony' evolved to mean the condition or state relating to those seed leaves.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the state or condition relating to cotyledons (seed leaves) in a seedling — especially the number or arrangement of cotyledons (e.g., monocotyledony, dicotyledony).
The botanist examined the cotyledony of the seedlings to determine whether they were monocots or dicots.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/09/17 01:55