pseudocarpous
|pseu-do-carp-ous|
🇺🇸
/ˌsuːdoʊˈkɑrpəs/
🇬🇧
/ˌsjuːdəʊˈkɑːpəs/
false (accessory) fruit
Etymology
'pseudocarpous' originates from New Latin, specifically the word 'pseudocarpus', where the Greek element 'pseudo-' meant 'false' and 'karpos' meant 'fruit'.
'pseudocarpous' changed from New Latin 'pseudocarpus' (used in botanical Latin) and ultimately from Greek 'pseudokarpos' and became the English adjective 'pseudocarpous' by formation in modern botanical usage.
Initially it meant 'having or relating to a false fruit', and over time it has retained that specialized botanical sense of 'relating to a fruit formed mainly from tissues other than the ovary'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
relating to or bearing a pseudocarp — an accessory or 'false' fruit formed largely from tissues other than the ovary (for example, the fleshy part of a strawberry).
The strawberry is pseudocarpous, because the edible flesh develops largely from the receptacle rather than the ovary.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2026/01/13 03:56