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

Origin of corymb

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

Related formscor·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 Formscorymbed, 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.