cycad

noun

cy·​cad ˈsī-kəd 

: any of an order (Cycadales) of dioecious cycadophytes that flourished especially during the Jurassic and are represented by four surviving families of palmlike tropical plants

Did you know?

A cycad is a tropical palmlike evergreen plant. Cycads flourished especially during the Jurassic and are represented by four surviving families. Cycads have crowns of large, feathery compound leaves and cones at the ends of their branches. Some have tall, unbranched trunks; others have partially buried stems with swollen trunks. Slow-growing cycads are used as ornamental conservatory plants, but some survive outdoors in temperate regions. The stems of some cycads yield starch that is edible if thoroughly cooked. The young leaves and seeds of others also are edible.

Examples of cycad in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Yes, all the various cycads, but also cacti and succulents, and citrus trees. —Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 July 2025

Having researched the role of the cycad seed in the Guam cluster, Spencer knew that some mushrooms contain toxins that can powerfully affect the nervous system. —Shayla Love, The Atlantic, 23 Mar. 2025

First up were cycads, small stumpy trees in the zoo’s Africa Rocks area. —Karen Kucher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 July 2025

In the Triassic, however, forests only consisted of conifers and cycads; flowers didn’t even exist yet. —Jenny Lehmann, Discover Magazine, 5 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

New Latin Cycad-, Cycas, genus name, from Greek kykas, manuscript variant of koïkas, accusative plural of koïx, a kind of palm

First Known Use

1845, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

cycad

noun

cy·​cad ˈsī-kəd 

: a tropical palmlike evergreen plant that is a gymnosperm