coleoptile

[ koh-lee-op-til, kol-ee- ]

nounBotany.
  1. (in grasses) the first leaf above the ground, forming a sheath around the stem tip.

Origin of coleoptile

1
1865–70; <New Latin coleoptilum<Greek koleó(n) sheath, scabbard + ptílon soft feathers, down

Words Nearby coleoptile

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British Dictionary definitions for coleoptile

coleoptile

/ (ˌkɒlɪˈɒptaɪl) /


noun
  1. a protective sheath around the plumule in grasses

Origin of coleoptile

1
C19: from New Latin coleoptilum, from Greek koleon sheath + ptilon down, soft plumage

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 coleoptile

coleoptile

[ kō′lē-ŏptĭl, kŏl′ē- ]


  1. A protective sheath enclosing the shoot tip and embryonic leaves of grasses.

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