caryopsis

noun

cary·op·sis ˌker-ē-ˈäp-səs

ˌka-rē-

plural caryopses ˌker-ē-ˈäp-ˌsēz

ˌka-rē-

also caryopsides ˌker-ē-ˈäp-sə-ˌdēz

ˌka-rē-

: a small one-seeded dry indehiscent fruit (as of corn or wheat) in which the fruit and seed fuse in a single grain

Examples of caryopsis in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web In Italy, these included the starch-rich rhizomes from Typha angustifolia, or narrow leaf cat tail, Typha latifolia, broad leaf cattail, as well as Brachypodium, grasses that have caryopsis, or grains, and are easy to grind and grow well in the area. —

Andrew Moseman, Discover Magazine, 19 Oct. 2010 But in corn's case, each kernel is what's called a caryopsis, basically a type of dry fruit where the ovary wall and the seed coat are fused into one layer. —

Caroline Picard, Good Housekeeping, 7 Dec. 2018 No Strictly botanically speaking, grains describe caryopses (a.k.a. —

Caroline Picard, Good Housekeeping, 10 Dec. 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'caryopsis.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.