anther

[ an-ther ]
/ ˈæn θər /

noun Botany.

the pollen-bearing part of a stamen.

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Origin of anther

1545–55; < New Latin anthēra < Latin < Greek, feminine of anthērós flowery; see anthesis

OTHER WORDS FROM anther

an·ther·al, adjectivean·ther·less, adjective

Words nearby anther

anthelmintic, anthem, anthema, anthemion, anthemius of tralles, anther, antheridiophore, antheridium, antherozoid, anthesis, anthesteria
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for anther

British Dictionary definitions for anther

anther
/ (ˈænθə) /

noun

the terminal part of a stamen consisting usually of two lobes each containing two sacs in which the pollen matures

Derived forms of anther

antheral, adjective

Word Origin for anther

C18: from New Latin anthēra, from Latin: a remedy prepared from flowers, from Greek, from anthēros flowery, from anthos flower
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

Scientific definitions for anther

anther
[ ăn′thər ]

The pollen-bearing part at the upper end of the stamen of a flower. Most anthers occur at the tip of a slender, stemlike filament and have two lobes. Each lobe contains two pollen sacs. When pollen matures in the pollen sacs, the lobes of the anthers burst open in the process known as dehiscence to release the pollen. See more at flower.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.