hilum

[ hahy-luhm ]

/ ˈhaɪ ləm /

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noun, plural hi·la

[hahy-luh]. /ˈhaɪ lə/.

Botany.

the mark or scar on a seed produced by separation from its funicle or placenta.
the nucleus of a granule of starch.

Mycology. a mark or scar on a spore at the point of attachment to the spore-bearing structure.

Anatomy. the region at which the vessels, nerves, etc., enter or emerge from a part.

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Origin of hilum

1650–60; <New Latin; Latin: little thing, trifle; see nil

OTHER WORDS FROM hilum

hilar, adjective

Words nearby hilum

hilly, Hillyer, Hilo, hilt, Hilton, hilum, hilus, Hilversum, him, Himachal Pradesh, Himalayan

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

How to use hilum in a sentence

He considers the centre of the hilum as the base, and the chalaza, where it exists, as the natural apex of the seed.
Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia] [Volume 2 of 2]|Phillip Parker King
The blood-vessels enter at one spot, the hilum, and are distributed along the trabeculae.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 17, Slice 2|Various
The hilum or base of the seed, and the chalaza or base of the nucellus are united by means of the raphe r.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 3|Various
This tear extended up into the hilum of the lobe, but had not torn a major bronchus or a major blood vessel.
Warren Commission (6 of 26): Hearings Vol. VI (of 15)|The President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy

In the Cetacea this transverse opening is kidney-shaped, the hilum of the kidney being above.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 10, Slice 1|Various

British Dictionary definitions for hilum

hilum

/ (ˈhaɪləm) /

noun plural -la (-lə)

botany

a scar on the surface of a seed marking its point of attachment to the seed stalk (funicle)
the nucleus of a starch grain

a deep fissure or depression on the surface of a bodily organ around the point of entrance or exit of vessels, nerves, or ducts

Word Origin for hilum

C17: from Latin: trifle; see nihil

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 hilum

hilum

[ hī′ləm ]

Plural hila

A mark or scar on a seed, such as a bean, showing where it was formerly attached to the plant. The hilum indicates the point of attachment of the funiculus.

A depression or opening through which nerves, ducts, or blood vessels pass in an organ or a gland, as in the medial aspect of the lungs or the kidneys .