epigeous

[ ep-i-jee-uhs ]

adjectiveBotany.
  1. growing on or close to the ground.

  2. (of cotyledons) lifted above ground in germination.

Origin of epigeous

1
First recorded in 1825–35; from Greek epígeios “on, of the world,” equivalent to epi- prefix meaning “on, over, near, etc.” + -geios (ge-, stem of “earth“ + -ios adjective suffix); see epi-, -ous

Words Nearby epigeous

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use epigeous in a sentence

  • It is a short, unattractive tree, with epigeous branches spreading out in a straggling manner.

    The Philippine Islands | John Foreman

British Dictionary definitions for epigeous

epigeous

/ (ˌɛpɪˈdʒiːəs) /


adjective
  1. a variant of epigeal

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 epigeous

epigeous

[ ĕp′ə-jēəs ]


  1. Relating to the germination of a seed in which the cotyledons emerge above the surface of the ground. Compare hypogeous.

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