gemma

[ jem-uh ]

noun,plural gem·mae [jem-ee]. /ˈdʒɛm i/.
  1. a bud.

  2. Botany. a cell or cluster of cells, or a leaflike or budlike body, that separates from the parent plant to form a new organism, as in mosses and liverworts.

  1. Zoology. gemmule (def. 2).

Origin of gemma

1
First recorded in 1760–70; from Latin: “bud, jewel”; see gem

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use gemma in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for gemma

gemma

/ (ˈdʒɛmə) /


nounplural -mae (-miː)
  1. a small asexual reproductive structure in liverworts, mosses, etc, that becomes detached from the parent and develops into a new individual

  2. zoology another name for gemmule (def. 1)

Origin of gemma

1
C18: from Latin: bud, gem

Derived forms of gemma

  • gemmaceous (dʒɛˈmeɪʃəs), adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for gemma

gemma

[ jĕmə ]


Plural gemmae (jĕmē′)
  1. A budlike mass of undifferentiated tissue which serves as a means of vegetative reproduction among mosses and liverworts. The gemmae, often formed in structures called gemma cups, are usually dispersed from the parent plant by the splashing of raindrops, after which they develop into new individuals.

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