amplexicaul

[ am-plek-si-kawl ]
/ æmˈplɛk sɪˌkɔl /

adjective Botany.

clasping the stem, as some leaves do at their base.

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earnest
full seriousness, as of intention or purpose.
a feeling of dread, anxiety, or anguish.
urgent character; imperativeness; insistence; importunateness.
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Origin of amplexicaul

1750–60; < New Latin amplexicaulis, equivalent to Latin amplex(us) embrace (see amplexus) + -i- -i- + caulis stem (see cole)

Words nearby amplexicaul

amphotericin b, amphoterism, amphotropic virus, ampicillin, ample, amplexicaul, amplexifoliate, amplexus, ampliate, ampliation, amplidyne
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British Dictionary definitions for amplexicaul

amplexicaul
/ (æmˈplɛksɪˌkɔːl) /

adjective

(of some sessile leaves, stipules, etc) having an enlarged base that encircles the stem

Word Origin for amplexicaul

C18: from New Latin amplexicaulis, from Latin amplectī to embrace + caulis stalk
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