monocotyledon

[ mon-uh-kot-l-eed-n ]

/ ˌmɒn əˌkɒt lˈid n /

noun Botany.

an angiospermous plant of the class Monocotyledones, characterized by producing seeds with one cotyledon and an endogenous manner of growth.

Nearby words

monoclonal, monoclonal antibody, monoclonality, monocoque, monocot, monocotyledon, monocotyledonous, monocracy, monocrat, monocratic, monocrotic

Compare dicotyledon.

Origin of monocotyledon

From New Latin, dating back to 1720–30; see origin at mono-, cotyledon

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

British Dictionary definitions for monocotyledon

monocotyledon

/ (ˌmɒnəʊˌkɒtɪˈliːdən) /

noun

any flowering plant of the class Monocotyledonae, having a single embryonic seed leaf, leaves with parallel veins, and flowers with parts in threes: includes grasses, lilies, palms, and orchidsOften shortened to: monocot Compare dicotyledon

Derived Forms

monocotyledonous, 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

Science definitions for monocotyledon

monocotyledon

[ mŏn′ə-kŏt′l-ēd′n ]

monocot

(mŏn′ə-kŏt′)

Any of a class of angiosperm plants having a single cotyledon in the seed. Monocotyledons have leaves with parallel veins, flower parts in multiples of three, and fibrous root systems. Their primary vascular bundles are scattered throughout the stem, not arranged in a ring as in eudicotyledons. Grasses, palms, lilies, irises, and orchids are monocotyledons. See more at leaf. Compare eudicotyledon.

Related forms

monocotyledonous adjective