nucellus

[noo-sel-uh s, nyoo-]

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.

Origin of nucellus

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

Related formsnu·cel·lar, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for nucellus

Historical Examples of nucellus

The nucellus is a cellular tissue enveloping one large cell, the embryo-sac or macrospore.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 2, Part 1, Slice 1
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
In Araucaria and Saxegothaea the nucellus itself projects beyond the open micropyle and receives the pollen-grains direct.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 12, Slice 7
Various
The vessels of the cord are prolonged to the base of the nucellus n by means of the raphe r.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 3
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

British Dictionary definitions for nucellus

nucellus

noun plural -li (-laɪ)

the central part of a plant ovule containing the embryo sac

Derived Formsnucellar, 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

nucellus in Science

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.