corymb

[ kawr-imb, -im, kor- ]

/ ˈkɔr ɪmb, -ɪm, ˈkɒr- /

noun Botany.

a form of inflorescence in which the flowers form a flat-topped or convex cluster, the outermost flowers being the first to open.

Nearby words

corybant, corybantic, corydalis, corydon, coryell, corymb, corymbiform, corymbose, corynebacteria, corynebacterium, corynebacterium diphtheriae

Origin of corymb

1700–10; < Latin corymbus < Greek kórymbos head, top, cluster of fruit or flowers

Related forms

cor·ymbed, adjectivecor·ymb·like, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for corymb

It grows from two to four feet high, and bears a corymb of many yellow heads, from July to September.
Field and Woodland Plants|William S. Furneaux
Second, the cauliflower, which is a cluster (corymb) of forced cabbage flowers.
The Century Cook Book|Mary Ronald
Corymbose, in corymbs, approaching the form of a corymb, or branched in that way.
The Elements of Botany|Asa Gray
A compound corymb is a corymb some branches of which branch again in the same way, as in Mountain Ash.
The Elements of Botany|Asa Gray

This is commonly a flat-topped or convex flower-cluster, like a corymb, only the blossoms are from terminal buds.
The Elements of Botany|Asa Gray

British Dictionary definitions for corymb

corymb

/ (ˈkɒrɪmb, -rɪm) /

noun

an inflorescence in the form of a flat-topped flower cluster with the oldest flowers at the periphery. This type of raceme occurs in the candytuft

Derived Forms

corymbed, adjectivecorymbose or corymbous, adjectivecorymbosely, adverb

Word Origin for corymb

C18: from Latin corymbus, from Greek korumbos cluster

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

Science definitions for corymb

corymb

[ kôr′ĭmb, -ĭm ]

An indeterminate inflorescence whose outer flowers have longer stalks than the inner flowers, so that together they form a round cluster that is rather flat on top. The outer flowers open before the inner ones. Yarrow and the hawthorn have corymbs. See illustration at inflorescence.