raceme

[ rey-seem, ruh- ]
See synonyms for: racemeracemes on Thesaurus.com

nounBotany.
  1. a simple indeterminate inflorescence in which the flowers are borne on short pedicels lying along a common axis, as in the lily of the valley.

  2. a compound inflorescence in which the short pedicels with single flowers of the simple raceme are replaced by racemes.

Origin of raceme

1
First recorded in 1775–85, raceme is from the Latin word racēmus cluster of grapes, bunch of berries

Other words from raceme

  • ra·cemed, adjective

Words Nearby raceme

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

How to use raceme in a sentence

  • The flowers are very small, almost sessile, and arranged in a one-sided, curved raceme.

    Field and Woodland Plants | William S. Furneaux
  • Its rather large crimson flowers are on very short stalks in the axils of the upper leaves, forming together a leafy raceme.

    Field and Woodland Plants | William S. Furneaux
  • The flowering stems each bear a dense cluster of dull pink or purple heads, forming a raceme from four inches to a foot in height.

    Field and Woodland Plants | William S. Furneaux
  • Its stem is erect, without runners; and the blue flowers form a one-sided raceme without bracts.

    Field and Woodland Plants | William S. Furneaux
  • The flowers are perfect, reddish green, in distant whorls, forming a terminal raceme which is leafless above.

    Field and Woodland Plants | William S. Furneaux

British Dictionary definitions for raceme

raceme

/ (rəˈsiːm) /


noun
  1. an inflorescence in which the flowers are borne along the main stem, with the oldest flowers at the base. It can be simple, as in the foxglove, or compound: See panicle

Origin of raceme

1
C18: from Latin racēmus bunch of grapes

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 raceme

raceme

[ rə-sēm ]


  1. An indeterminate inflorescence in which each flower grows on its own stalk from a common stem. The lily of the valley and snapdragon have racemes. See illustration at inflorescence.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.