rhizoid

[ rahy-zoid ]

adjective

1. rootlike.

noun

1. (in mosses, ferns, etc.) one of the rootlike filaments by which the plant is attached to the substratum.

rhizoid

/ ˈraɪzɔɪd /

noun

1. any of various slender hairlike structures that function as roots in the gametophyte generation of mosses, ferns, and related plants

rhizoid

/ rī′zoid′ /

1. A slender, rootlike filament by which mosses, liverworts, and the gametophytes of ferns attach themselves to the material in which they grow.
2. A branching, rootlike extension by which algae and fungi absorb water and nutrients.

Derived Forms

• rhiˈzoidal, adjective

Other Words From

• rhi·zoidal adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of rhizoid¹

1855–60; rhiz- ( def ) + -oid

Example Sentences

Rhizoid: Of an irregular, branched, root-like character (Fig. 142, b).

From Project Gutenberg