akene

[ ey-keen, uh-keen ]

/ eɪˈkin, əˈkin /

noun

achene.

Nearby words

akebi, akee, akela, akeldama, akeley, akene, akeratosis, aketon, akh, akhara, akhaïa

Definition for akene (2 of 2)

achene

or a·kene

[ ey-keen, uh-keen ]

/ eɪˈkin, əˈkin /

noun Botany.

any small, dry, hard, one-seeded, indehiscent fruit.

Origin of achene

1835–45; < New Latin achaenium, equivalent to a- a-⁶ + Greek chain- (stem of chaínein to gape) + Latin -ium -ium

Related forms

a·che·ni·al

[ey-kee-nee-uh l, uh-kee-] /eɪˈki ni əl, əˈki-/, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for akene

It is what the botanists call an akene, which simply means just one seed with a tight envelope about it.
Cornell Nature-Study Leaflets|Various
Akene of Virgin's-bower, retaining the feathered style, which aids in dissemination.
The Elements of Botany|Asa Gray
The fruit of Composit (though not of a single carpel) is also an akene.
The Elements of Botany|Asa Gray

British Dictionary definitions for akene (1 of 2)

akene

/ (əˈkiːn) /

noun

a variant spelling of achene

British Dictionary definitions for akene (2 of 2)

achene

akene

/ (əˈkiːn) /

noun

a dry one-seeded indehiscent fruit with the seed distinct from the fruit wall. It may be smooth, as in the buttercup, or feathery, as in clematis

Derived Forms

achenial or akenial, adjective

Word Origin for achene

C19: from New Latin achaenium that which does not yawn or open, from a- 1 + Greek khainein to yawn

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

Science definitions for akene

achene

A small, dry, one-seeded fruit in which the seed sits free inside the hollow fruit, attached only by the stem of the ovule. Achenes are indehiscent (they do not split open when ripe). The fruits of the sunflower and elm are achenes.