aril

American  

[ar-il] / ˈær ɪl /

noun

Botany.

1. a usually fleshy appendage or covering of certain seeds, as of the bittersweet, Celastrus scandens, or the nutmeg.

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aril British  

/ ˈærɪl /

noun

1. an appendage on certain seeds, such as those of the yew and nutmeg, developed from or near the funicle of the ovule and often brightly coloured and fleshy

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aril Scientific  

/ ăr′əl /

1. A fleshy seed cover which arises from the funiculus (the stalk of the ovule). Arils, such the red berry-like arils of the yew, are often brightly colored to attract animals who eat them and disperse the seeds. The spice mace is the aril of the nutmeg seed.

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Other Word Forms

• arillate
  adjective
• arilloid
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of aril

1785–95; < New Latin arillus; Medieval Latin: grape seed, probably erroneously for armillus, with same sense; compare Upper Italian dialect armella, arma kernel, pit of a fruit, Italian animella edible insides of an animal < Latin anima literally, spirit (hence, the insides of a thing), with -illa diminutive suffix; see anima

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

aril

But on closer inspection we observe that the flower stalks are combined into little groups, each group occupying the aril of one of the basal leaves.

From Species and Varieties, Their Origin by Mutation by Vries, Hugo de

The seeds are edible, and the blue, pulpy aril surrounding them yields an essential oil.

From Catalogue of Economic Plants in the Collection of the U. S. Department of Agriculture by Saunders, William

The fruit is about the size of an ordinary walnut, with a thick rind, which, upon opening, at maturity, discloses a reddish aril covering the nut within.

From The Nut Culturist A Treatise on Propogation, Planting, and Cultivation of Nut Bearing Trees and Shrubs Adapted to the Climate of the United States by Fuller, Andrew S.

It is attached to the placenta by the funicle f, cellular prolongations from which form an aril a a.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 3 "Frost" to "Fyzabad" by Various

Fruit about size of child’s head or smaller, somewhat pear-shaped, juicy, pulp melon-like, 1 compartment with numerous seeds, each in a mucilaginous aril.

From The Medicinal Plants of the Philippines by Thomas, Jerome Beers

Related Words

• chaff
• pod
• rind