elater

American  

[el-uh-ter] / ˈɛl ə tər /

noun

1. Botany. an elastic filament serving to disperse spores.

2. Zoology. elaterid.

3. Obsolete. elasticity.

---

elater British  

/ ˈɛlətə /

noun

1. an elaterid beetle

2. botany a spirally thickened filament, occurring in liverwort capsules and horsetails, thought to aid dispersal of spores

---

elater Scientific  

/ ĕl′ə-tər /

1. A tiny elongated structure that helps disperse plant spores by coiling and uncoiling in response to changes in humidity. The elaters of horsetails are bands attached to the spore wall, while those of liverworts are sterile cells occurring among the spores.

---

Etymology

Origin of elater

1645–55; < New Latin < Greek elatḗr driver, equivalent to ela- (stem of elaúnein to drive; see elastic) + -tēr noun suffix