nucellus

[ noo-sel-uh s, nyoo- ]

/ nuˈsɛl əs, nyu- /

noun, plural nu·cel·li [noo-sel-ahy, nyoo-] /nuˈsɛl aɪ, nyu-/. Botany.

the central cellular mass of the body of the ovule, containing the embryo sac.

Nearby words

nubian desert, nubian goat, nubile, nubilous, nubuck, nucellus, nucflash, nucha, nuchal ligament, nuchal plane, nuci-

Origin of nucellus

1880–85; < New Latin, equivalent to Latin nuc- (stem of nux) nut + -ella -elle

Related forms

nu·cel·lar, adjective

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

Examples from the Web for nucellus

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
The Insemineae include forms in which the nucellus is not developed, and therefore there can be no seed.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 2, Part 1, Slice 1|Various
The connexion between the base of the ovule and the base of the nucellus is kept up by means of the raphe r.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 10, Slice 5|Various
The base of the nucellus is indicated by the chalaza ch, while the apex is at the micropyle m.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 3|Various

The point where the integuments are united to the base of the nucellus is called the chalaza (figs. 111, 112).
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 10, Slice 5|Various

British Dictionary definitions for nucellus

nucellus

/ (njuːˈsɛləs) /

noun plural -li (-laɪ)

the central part of a plant ovule containing the embryo sac

Derived Forms

nucellar, adjective

Word Origin for nucellus

C19: New Latin, from Latin nucella, from nux nut

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 nucellus

nucellus

[ nōō-sĕl′əs ]

Plural nucelli (nōō-sĕl′ī)

The megasporangium of a seed-bearing plant, located in the ovule. In angiosperms, it is the central portion of the ovule in which the embryo sac develops. In some cases of apomixis (production of seeds without fertilization), cells of the nucellus develop into an embryo.