bulbil

[ buhl-bil ]

noun

1. Botany. Also bul·bel [] bulblet.
2. Mycology. a rounded mass of fungus cells resembling a sclerotium but of simpler organization, most commonly produced by certain basidiomycetes.

bulbil

/ ˈbʌlbəl; ˈbʌlbɪl /

noun

1. a small bulblike organ of vegetative reproduction growing in leaf axils or on flower stalks of plants such as the onion and tiger lily
2. any small bulb of a plant
3. any small bulblike structure in an animal

Word History and Origins

Origin of bulbil¹

1825–35; < New Latin bulbillus, equivalent to Latin bulb ( us ) bulb + -illus diminutive suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of bulbil¹

C19: from New Latin bulbillus , from Latin bulbus bulb

Example Sentences

A swollen bud or bulbil in this situation is not uncommon in some cultivated tulips and lilies.

From Project Gutenberg