nectary

[nek-tuh-ree]

noun, plural nec·ta·ries.

Botany. an organ or part that secretes nectar.

Entomology. a cornicle (formerly thought to secrete honeydew).

Nearby words

Origin of nectary

From the New Latin word nectarium, dating back to 1590–1600. See nectar, -y³

Related formsnec·ta·ried, adjective

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

Examples from the Web for nectary

Her own food has been honey drawn from the nectary of a flower.
An Introduction to Entomology: Vol. I (of 4)|William Kirby
Smaller insects might creep into the nectary and sip without the intended fulfilment.
My Studio Neighbors|William Hamilton Gibson
The flowers expand, and a set of vessels pour into the cup or nectary a minute portion of honey.
Mysteries of Bee-keeping Explained|M. Quinby
When the colour is absent from only one of the two upper petals, the nectary is not quite aborted but is much shortened.
On the Origin of Species|Charles Darwin

Stamens 5, inserted on the nectary, and alternating with the lobes of the latter.
The Medicinal Plants of the Philippines|T. H. Pardo de Tavera

British Dictionary definitions for nectary

nectary

noun plural -ries

any of various glandular structures secreting nectar that occur in the flowers, leaves, stipules, etc, of a plant

any of the abdominal tubes in aphids through which honeydew is secreted

Derived Formsnectarial (nɛkˈtɛərɪəl), adjective

Word Origin for nectary

C18: from New Latin nectarium, from nectar

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