sclereid

[skler-ee-id]

noun Botany.

a short, thickened plant cell of the sclerenchyma, typically containing branched pits.

Also called stone cell.

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

sclereid in Science

[sklĕr′ē-ĭd]

A thick-walled lignified plant cell, often branched in shape. Sclereids form many hard structures such as seed coats and nut shells. They are a type of sclerenchyma cell but are usually shorter than fibers.