dicotyledon

noun

di·​cot·​y·​le·​don ˌdī-ˌkä-tə-ˈlē-dᵊn How to pronounce dicotyledon (audio)
plural dicotyledons
: any of a class or subclass (Magnoliopsida or Dicotyledoneae) of angiospermous plants that produce an embryo with two cotyledons and usually have floral organs arranged in cycles of four or five and leaves with reticulate venation

called also dicot

compare monocotyledon
dicotyledonous adjective

Word History

Etymology

New Latin

First Known Use

1725, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of dicotyledon was in 1725

Dictionary Entries Near dicotyledon

Cite this Entry

“Dicotyledon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dicotyledon. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

dicotyledon

noun
di·​cot·​y·​le·​don ˌdī-ˌkät-ᵊl-ˈēd-ᵊn How to pronounce dicotyledon (audio)
: any of a group of flowering plants (as an aster, an oak, or a bean) having an embryo with two cotyledons, leaves with veins that usually branch and interlace to form a network, and flower parts that occur in groups of four or five compare monocotyledon

More from Merriam-Webster on dicotyledon

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!