lenticel

[len-tuh-sel]

noun Botany.

a body of cells formed on the periderm of a stem, appearing on the surface of the plant as a lens-shaped spot, and serving as a pore.

Nearby words

Origin of lenticel

1850–55; < New Latin lenticella, diminutive of Latin lenticula lentil; see lenticle

Related formslen·ti·cel·late

[len-tuh-sel-it] /ˌlɛn təˈsɛl ɪt/, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for lenticel

It was a lenticel, a characteristic preparation from the elder-tree.
The Plattner Story and Others|H. G. Wells

British Dictionary definitions for lenticel

lenticel

noun

any of numerous pores in the stem of a woody plant allowing exchange of gases between the plant and the exterior

Derived Formslenticellate (ˌlɛntɪˈsɛlɪt), adjective

Word Origin for lenticel

C19: from New Latin lenticella, from Latin lenticula diminutive of lēns lentil

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 lenticel

lenticel

[lĕn′tĭ-sĕl′]

One of the small areas on the surface of a plant stem, trunk, or fruit that allow the interchange of gases between the metabolically active interior tissue and the surrounding air or pockets of air in the soil. Lenticels are portions of the periderm that have numerous pores or intercellular spaces. They appear as raised circular or elongated areas. The dark lines in birch bark and the tiny dots sometimes seen on skin of apples and pears are lenticels.