nucellar
|nu-cel-lar|
🇺🇸
/nuːˈsɛlər/
🇬🇧
/njuːˈsɛlə/
relating to the nucellus (ovule core)
Etymology
'nucellar' originates from New Latin/Modern scientific usage, specifically the Medieval Latin word 'nucellus', where 'nux' (Latin) meant 'nut' and the suffix '-ellus' was a diminutive.
'nucellus' (Medieval/Scientific Latin) referred to a small kernel or inner part; English scientific use adopted 'nucellus' for the central tissue of an ovule and formed the adjective 'nucellar' in modern botanical English.
Initially it referred to a 'small nut' or 'little kernel' in Latin, but over time it evolved in scientific contexts to mean 'pertaining to the nucellus, the inner tissue of an ovule.'
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
relating to or derived from the nucellus, the central tissue of an ovule in seed plants (used chiefly in botany).
Nucellar embryos are genetically identical to the mother plant and common in some citrus species.
Last updated: 2025/12/11 01:44