angiosperm

noun

an·​gio·​sperm ˈan-jē-ə-ˌspərm 

plural angiosperms

: any of a class (Angiospermae) of vascular plants that have male and female reproductive structures enclosed in a flower, that have seeds which arise from ovules contained in the ovaries, and that produce dry or fleshy fruits after double fertilization : flowering plant

Angiosperms … have their ovules consistently enclosed in a carpel, which prevents direct access of pollen to the ovules.

—P. Barry Tomlinson

Perhaps such habitats even antedate the appearance of angiosperm plants, which first flourished on a large scale in the Cretaceous period …

—Michael Goulding

compare gymnosperm

angiospermous

ˌan-jē-ə-ˈspər-məs 

adjective

angiospermous plant species

angiospermy

ˈan-jē-ə-ˌspər-mē 

noun

Angiospermy is a key innovation in angiosperms. It does not occur in other plant groups. The ovules are completely enclosed in a carpel.

—Peter K. Endress and Anton Igersheim

Examples of angiosperm in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Today, nearly 80 percent of all terrestrial plants are angiosperms. —Jack Tamisiea, New York Times, 12 Sep. 2023

This finding highlights how resilient angiosperms have been over hundreds of millions of years. —Jamie Thompson, Discover Magazine, 15 Sep. 2023

Flowering plants are known to scientists as angiosperms. —Jack Tamisiea, New York Times, 12 Sep. 2023

And the roses are an not unusual angiosperm (flowering plant) lineage in this regard. —Jamie Thompson, Discover Magazine, 15 Sep. 2023

To uncover the evolutionary insights missing from the fossil record, the researchers analyzed two evolutionary trees containing more than 100,000 species of living angiosperms. —Jack Tamisiea, New York Times, 12 Sep. 2023

By contrast, eight centuries is extremely old for an oak, an angiosperm. —Jared Farmer, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Jan. 2023

Such is the case with the first angiosperm, which researchers estimate evolved between 140 million and 250 million years ago. —Gemma Tarlach, Discover Magazine, 1 Aug. 2017

The team found that, as with the outer seed coat in modern angiosperm seeds, the cupule tissue curved around the developing seeds. —Elizabeth Pennisi, Science | AAAS, 26 May 2021

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French angiosperme "angiospermous plant," noun derivative of angiosperme "angiospermous," borrowed from New Latin angiospermus "having seeds contained in a capsule, having a pericarp," from Greek angeîon "vessel, container" + -o- -o- + -spermos "having a seed (of the kind specified)," derivative of spérma "seed" — more at angio-, sperm

First Known Use

circa 1828, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

angiosperm

noun

an·​gio·​sperm ˈan-jē-ə-ˌspərm 

: flowering plant

angiospermous

ˌan-jē-ə-ˈspər-məs 

adjective

Medical Definition

angiosperm

noun

an·​gio·​sperm ˈan-jē-ə-ˌspərm 

: any of a class (Angiospermae) of plants (as oaks or roses) that have reproductive structures contained in flowers and seeds enclosed in ovaries compare gymnosperm

angiospermous

ˌan-jē-ə-ˈspər-məs 

adjective