monoecious

[ muh-nee-shuhs ]

/ məˈni ʃəs /

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adjective

Biology. having both male and female organs in the same individual; hermaphroditic.

Botany. (of a plant, species, etc.) having the stamens and the pistils in separate flowers on the same plant.

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Also monecious.

Origin of monoecious

First recorded in 1755–65; from New Latin (Linnaeus) Monoeci(a) the name of the group comprising monoecious plants, equivalent to Greek mon- “sole, one” + oîk(os) “house” + Latin -ia noun suffix; see mon-, -ia,-ous

OTHER WORDS FROM monoecious

mo·noe·cious·ly, adverbmo·noe·cism

[muh-nee-siz-uhm], /məˈni sɪz əm/, mo·noe·cy, noun

Words nearby monoecious

monodisperse, monodomous, monodont, monodrama, monody, monoecious, monoester, monofilament, monogamic, monogamist, monogamous

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

How to use monoecious in a sentence

The flowers are dioecious, rarely monoecious, provided with one or two perianths.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 12, Slice 7|Various
The stamens become numerous (ten to forty) in the male flowers of a few monoecious genera (Pariana, Luziola).
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 12, Slice 3|Various
In warmer countries monoecious and dioecious grasses are more frequent.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 12, Slice 3|Various
Monoecious: when both sexual elements or glands exist in one individual.
Explanation of Terms Used in Entomology|John. B. Smith

Shrubs, with monoecious or dioecious flowers in catkins, and aromatic foliage.
The Plants of Michigan|Henry Allan Gleason

British Dictionary definitions for monoecious

monoecious

monecious monoicous (mɒˈnɔɪkəs)

/ (mɒˈniːʃəs) /

adjective

(of some flowering plants) having the male and female reproductive organs in separate flowers on the same plant

(of some animals and lower plants) hermaphrodite

Compare dioecious

Derived forms of monoecious

monoeciously or moneciously, adverb

Word Origin for monoecious

C18: from New Latin monoecia, from mono- + Greek oikos house

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 monoecious

monoecious

[ mə-nē′shəs ]

Having separate male flowers and female flowers on the same plant. Maize and oaks are monoecious plants. Compare dioecious.