germen

American  

[jur-muhn] / ˈdʒɜr mən /

noun

Archaic.

plural

germens, germina

1. a germ.

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germen British  

/ ˈdʒɜːmən /

noun

1. rare biology the mass of undifferentiated cells that gives rise to the germ cells

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Etymology

Origin of germen

From Latin, dating back to 1595–1605; see origin at germ

Example Sentences

The germen afterwards becomes a large, oblong, fleshy fruit, of a fine yellow colour, and containing a flat seed covered with a woolly substance.

From Antigua and the Antiguans, Volume II (of 2) A full account of the colony and its inhabitants from the time of the Caribs to the present day by Anonymous

But the stamens, being shorter than the germen, cannot discharge the pollen so as to throw it upon the stigma, as the flower stands always upright till after impregnation.

From The Works of Edgar Allan Poe — Volume 2 by Poe, Edgar Allan

Thus every botanist considers petals, nectaries, stamens, pistils, germen as metamorphosed leaf.

From The Foundations of the Origin of Species Two Essays written in 1842 and 1844 by Darwin, Francis, Sir

Mr. Berkeley found no difficulty, and had the stem impregnated as well as the germen.

From Fungi: Their Nature and Uses by Cooke, M. C. (Mordecai Cubitt)

The stamina are six, with one stile, growing from the germen, which stands up in three brownish segments, resembling a cup.

From The History of Sumatra Containing An Account Of The Government, Laws, Customs And Manners Of The Native Inhabitants by Marsden, William