angiosperm

American  

[an-jee-uh-spurm] / ˈæn dʒi əˌspɜrm /

noun

Botany.

1. a plant having its seeds enclosed in an ovary; a flowering plant.

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angiosperm British  

/ ˈændʒɪəˌspɜːm /

noun

1. any seed-bearing plant of the phylum Angiospermophyta (division Angiospermae in traditional systems), in which the ovules are enclosed in an ovary, which develops into the fruit after fertilization; any flowering plant Compare gymnosperm

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angiosperm Scientific  

/ ăn′jē-ə-spûrm′ /

1. Any of a large group of plants that produce flowers. They develop seeds from ovules contained in ovaries, and the seeds are enclosed by fruits which develop from carpels. They are also distinguished by the process of double fertilization. The majority of angiosperms belong to two large classes: monocotyledons and eudicotyledons. The angiosperms are the largest phylum of living plants, existing in some 235,000 species. They range from small floating plants only one millimeter (0.04 inch) in length to towering trees that are over 100 meters (328 ft) tall.

2. Compare gymnosperm

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Other Word Forms

• angiospermous adjective

Etymology

Origin of angiosperm

angio- + -sperm

Compare meaning

How does angiosperm compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• angiosperm vs. gymnosperm

Example Sentences

The analysis covers all 64 orders as well as the 416 families that make up the 330,000 known angiosperm species.

From Science Magazine • Apr. 24, 2024

Their data represent the full breadth of the floral kingdom, including all 64 angiosperm orders with their 416 families.

From Science Magazine • Apr. 23, 2024

This Angiosperm Terrestrial Revolution was in part driven by a unique innovation in angiosperm leaves: these present a netted hierarchical venation, which allows angiosperm to fix carbon dioxide in a much more efficient way.

From Science Daily • Apr. 16, 2024

It may have helped them weather the dramatic shift in climate or it may have allowed them to compete better with the faster-growing angiosperm plants that flourished after the extinction, "or it could be both."

From Science Daily • Nov. 16, 2023

In Palæozoic strata the entire want of plants of the most complex organisation is very striking, for not a single dicotyledonous angiosperm has yet been found, and only one undoubted monocotyledon.

From The World's Greatest Books — Volume 15 — Science by Hammerton, John Alexander, Sir