antheridium

[an-thuh-rid-ee-uh m]

noun, plural an·ther·id·i·a

[an-thuh-rid-ee-uh] /ˌæn θəˈrɪd i ə/. Botany, Mycology.

a male reproductive structure producing gametes, occurring in ferns, mosses, fungi, and algae.

Origin of antheridium

From New Latin, dating back to 1850–55; see origin at anther, -idium

Related formsan·ther·id·i·al, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for antheridium

Historical Examples of antheridium

The index reference for "Antheridium" should probably be 159, rather than 150, but was not changed.
The Elements of Botany
Asa Gray
A fruiting portion, magnified, showing the structure; a sporocarp, and an antheridium.
The Elements of Botany
Asa Gray
The antheridium consists at first of a basal cell and a terminal one.
Elements of Structural and Systematic Botany
Douglas Houghton Campbell
These cells, especially the outer ones, develop a great amount of a red pigment, giving the antheridium its characteristic color.
Elements of Structural and Systematic Botany
Douglas Houghton Campbell
The male plant has no definite stem, and consists of a single concave leaf protecting the antheridium.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Part 3
Various

British Dictionary definitions for antheridium

antheridium

noun plural -ia (-ɪə)

the male sex organ of algae, fungi, bryophytes, and spore-bearing vascular plants, such as ferns, which produces antherozoids

Derived Formsantheridial, adjective

Word Origin for antheridium

C19: from New Latin, diminutive of anthēra anther

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

antheridium in Science

antheridium

[ăn′thə-rĭd′ē-əm]

Plural antheridia (ăn′thə-rĭd′ē-ə)

An organ in certain organisms that produces male gametes. Antheridia are found in many groups of organisms, including the bryophytes, ferns, ascomycete fungi, and some algae. Most gymnosperms and all angiosperms, however, have lost the antheridium, and its role is filled by the pollen grain. Compare archegonium.