spathe

[ speyth ]
See synonyms for spathe on Thesaurus.com
nounBotany.
  1. a bract or pair of bracts, often large and colored, subtending or enclosing a spadix or flower cluster.

Origin of spathe

1
1775–85; <Latin spatha<Greek spáthē blade, sword, stem; cf. spade2

Other words from spathe

  • spathed, adjective

Words Nearby spathe

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use spathe in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for spathe

spathe

/ (speɪð) /


noun
  1. a large bract, often coloured, that surrounds the inflorescence of aroid plants and palms

Origin of spathe

1
C18: from Latin spatha, from Greek spathē a blade

Derived forms of spathe

  • spathaceous (spəˈθeɪʃəs), adjective
  • spathed, 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 spathe

spathe

[ spāð ]


  1. A large, leaflike, often showy bract that encloses a flower cluster or spadix, as in the jack-in-the-pulpit or calla lily.

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