epigynous

adjective

epig·​y·​nous i-ˈpi-jə-nəs How to pronounce epigynous (audio)
e-
1
of a floral organ : adnate to the surface of the ovary and appearing to grow from the top of it
2
: having epigynous floral organs
epigyny noun

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin epigynus, from epi- epi- + -gynus -gynous

Note: The term was apparently introduced, along with perigynus perigynous, by the French botanist Antoine Laurent de Jussieu (1748-1836) in Genera plantarum secundum ordines rationales disposita (Paris, 1789), p. xiii.

First Known Use

1830, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of epigynous was in 1830

Dictionary Entries Near epigynous

Cite this Entry

“Epigynous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/epigynous. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.

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