dictyosome

noun

dic·​tyo·​some ˈdik-tē-ə-ˌsōm How to pronounce dictyosome (audio)
: golgi apparatus sense 1

Note: Dictyosome is used especially in reference to plants, algae, and single-celled organisms.

Word History

Etymology

dictyo- + -some entry 3

Note: Term introduced by the English biologist John Edmund Sharrock Moore (1870-1947) in "Some Points in the Origin of the Reproductive Elements in Apus and Branchipus," Quarterly Journal of Microscopical Science, no. 138 (September, 1893), vol. 35, p. 263: "At this period of the metamorphosis … a number of most remarkable bodies make their appearance, more or less exclusively related to the cell periphery, but connected one to another and to the inner group of chromosomes by fine strands, which remain uncoloured by reagents; and, and as their relation to these fine threads suggests the nodal points in a net, I have termed them dictyosomes … ."

First Known Use

1893, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of dictyosome was in 1893

Dictionary Entries Near dictyosome

Dictyosiphonales

dictyosome

dictyospermum scale

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Dictyosome.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dictyosome. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

Medical Definition

dictyosome

noun
dic·​tyo·​some ˈdik-tē-ə-ˌsōm How to pronounce dictyosome (audio)
: golgi apparatus sense 1

Note: Dictyosome is used especially in reference to plants, algae, and single-celled organisms.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

9 Superb Owl Words

15 Words That Used to Mean Something Different
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
little chihuahua dressing like a turkey for thanksgiving
Is That Gratitude or Attitude? A Thanksgiving Quiz Decide which words express gratitude and which gi...