hilum
Botany.
the mark or scar on a seed produced by separation from its funicle or placenta.
the nucleus of a granule of starch.
Mycology. a mark or scar on a spore at the point of attachment to the spore-bearing structure.
Anatomy. the region at which the vessels, nerves, etc., enter or emerge from a part.
Origin of hilum
1Other words from hilum
- hilar, adjective
Words Nearby hilum
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use hilum in a sentence
He considers the centre of the hilum as the base, and the chalaza, where it exists, as the natural apex of the seed.
The blood-vessels enter at one spot, the hilum, and are distributed along the trabeculae.
The hilum or base of the seed, and the chalaza or base of the nucellus are united by means of the raphe r.
This tear extended up into the hilum of the lobe, but had not torn a major bronchus or a major blood vessel.
Warren Commission (6 of 26): Hearings Vol. VI (of 15) | The President's Commission on the Assassination of President KennedyIn the Cetacea this transverse opening is kidney-shaped, the hilum of the kidney being above.
British Dictionary definitions for hilum
/ (ˈhaɪləm) /
botany
a scar on the surface of a seed marking its point of attachment to the seed stalk (funicle)
the nucleus of a starch grain
a deep fissure or depression on the surface of a bodily organ around the point of entrance or exit of vessels, nerves, or ducts
Origin of hilum
1Collins 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 hilum
[ hī′ləm ]
A mark or scar on a seed, such as a bean, showing where it was formerly attached to the plant. The hilum indicates the point of attachment of the funiculus.
A depression or opening through which nerves, ducts, or blood vessels pass in an organ or a gland, as in the medial aspect of the lungs or the kidneys .
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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