sporophyll

or spo·ro·phyl

[ spawr-uh-fil, spohr- ]

nounBotany.
  1. a modified leaf that bears sporangia.

Origin of sporophyll

1
First recorded in 1885–90; sporo- + -phyll

Other words from sporophyll

  • spo·ro·phyl·la·ry [spawr-uh-fil-uh-ree, spohr-], /ˌspɔr əˈfɪl ə ri, ˌspoʊr-/, adjective

Words Nearby sporophyll

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

How to use sporophyll in a sentence

  • The sporophyll was radially extended, and along it the large sausage-shaped sporangia were attached (see fig. 98).

    Ancient Plants | Marie C. Stopes

British Dictionary definitions for sporophyll

sporophyll

sporophyl

/ (ˈspɔːrəʊfɪl, ˈspɒ-) /


noun
  1. a leaf in ferns and other spore-bearing plants that bears the sporangia: See also megasporophyll, microsporophyll

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 sporophyll

sporophyll

[ spôrə-fĭl′ ]


  1. A leaf or leaflike organ that bears sporangia.

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