coleoptile
[ koh-lee-op-til, kol-ee- ]
nounBotany.
(in grasses) the first leaf above the ground, forming a sheath around the stem tip.
Origin of coleoptile
11865–70; <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
a protective sheath around the plumule in grasses
Origin of coleoptile
1C19: 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-ŏp′tĭl, kŏl′ē- ]
A protective sheath enclosing the shoot tip and embryonic leaves of grasses.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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