sclereid

[skler-ee-id]

noun

Botany.

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

sclereid

1. 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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of sclereid¹

First recorded in 1895–1905; sclere(nchyma) ( def. ) + -id(e) ( def. ); modeled on German sclereïd

Example Sentences

The team found that walnut shells are composed of a previously unknown cell type—dubbed the “polylobate sclereid” cell—which sport irregular lobes with many different concave and convex contours.

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