acerose

¹

[ as-uh-rohs ]

adjective

, Botany.

1. needle-shaped, as the leaves of the pine.

acerose

²

[ as-uh-rohs ]

adjective

1. resembling chaff.
2. mixed with chaff.

acerose

/ ˈæsəˌrəʊs; -ˌrəʊz /

adjective

1. shaped like a needle, as pine leaves

Word History and Origins

Origin of acerose¹

1775–85; special sense of acerose ², by misattribution of acer- to Latin acus needle, whose stem is acu- and not acer- ( acute )

Origin of acerose²

1715–25; < Latin acerōsus, equivalent to acer- (stem of acus ) chaff + -ōsus -ose ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of acerose¹

C18: from Latin acerōsus full of chaff (erroneously used by Linnaeus as if derived from ācer sharp)