phyllode

[ fil-ohd ]

nounBotany.
  1. an expanded petiole resembling and having the function of a leaf, but without a true blade.

Origin of phyllode

1
First recorded in 1840–50, phyllode is from the Greek word phyllṓdēs leaflike. See phyll-, -ode1

Other words from phyllode

  • phyl·lo·di·al, adjective

Words Nearby phyllode

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use phyllode in a sentence

  • To emphasize this difference, botanists call such an apparent leaf a phyllodium, or phyllode.

    Evolution | Joseph Le Conte

British Dictionary definitions for phyllode

phyllode

/ (ˈfɪləʊd) /


noun
  1. a flattened leafstalk that resembles and functions as a leaf

Origin of phyllode

1
C19: from New Latin phyllodium, from Greek phullōdēs leaflike

Derived forms of phyllode

  • phyllodial, 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

Scientific definitions for phyllode

phyllode

[ fĭlōd ]


  1. A flattened leafstalk that functions as a leaf, as in an acacia.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.