endosperm

[ en-duh-spurm ]

/ ˈɛn dəˌspɜrm /

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noun Botany.

nutritive matter in seed-plant ovules, derived from the embryo sac.

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Origin of endosperm

1840–50; <French endosperme;see endo-, sperm¹

Words nearby endosperm

endoscopy, endoskeleton, endosmosis, endosome, endosonoscopy, endosperm, endospore, endosporium, endostatin, endosteitis, endosteoma

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

How to use endosperm in a sentence

According to CSIRO, two enzymes were identified that, when reduced in regular wheat, increased the total fiber content in the endosperm.
We Found a High-Fiber Flour That's Actually Tasty|AC Shilton|February 1, 2021|Outside Online
However, thanks to the fiber in its endosperm, it has a nutritional profile that's even better than that of whole wheat.
We Found a High-Fiber Flour That's Actually Tasty|AC Shilton|February 1, 2021|Outside Online

British Dictionary definitions for endosperm

endosperm

/ (ˈɛndəʊˌspɜːm) /

noun

the tissue within the seed of a flowering plant that surrounds and nourishes the developing embryo

Derived forms of endosperm

endospermic, adjective

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 endosperm

endosperm

[ ĕn′də-spûrm′ ]

The tissue that surrounds and provides nourishment to the embryo in the seeds of many angiosperms. The cells of the endosperm arise from a process similar to that of fertilization. The pollen of angiosperms contains two sperm, one of which fertilizes the egg cell in the female gametophyte. The second unites with two other nuclei in the female gametophyte, producing cells that are triploid (having three sets of chromosomes) and that develop into the endosperm. In some species of angiosperms, the endosperm is absorbed by the embryo before germination, while in others it is consumed during germination. Embyros that lack an endosperm (such as peas and beans) have absorbed most of their food storage tissues before becoming dormant and develop large, fleshy cotyledons.