gymnosperm
noun
gym·no·sperm
ˈjim-nə-ˌspərm 
plural gymnosperms
: any of a class (Gymnospermae) of vascular plants that produce seeds not enclosed in an ovary, possess separate male and female reproductive strobili, and include the conifers, cycadophytes, gnetophytes, and gingko
Note: While separate male and female strobili typically occur on the same plant, some gymnosperms (such as the gingko) are dioecious, with male and female strobili on different individual plants.
… gymnosperms are an ancient group of plants, showing up about 380 million years ago.—
John Nelson
John NelsonGymnosperm pollen is spread largely by the wind, the sperm-like dust of one plant blowing along until it reaches the egg-like ovule of another …—Natalie Angier
compare angiosperm
Natalie Angier
gymnospermy
noun
… transition from gymnospermy, in which pollen grains (sperm donors) land directly on ovules (egg donors), to angiospermy, in which they land on the tip of the carpels.
—Julien B. Bachelier
Julien B. Bachelier
Examples of gymnosperm in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Pollen from gymnosperms, such as pines, as well as ferns and flowering plants, such as grasses, herbs and palm trees, all record a clear pattern: Some forest pollen disappeared after the impact, suggesting that the regions’ vegetation changed.
—Francisca Oboh Ikuenobe, The Conversation, 20 May 2025
This gymnosperm is found in arid Namibia and Angola and only grows two strap-like leaves during its very long lifetime.
—Kristin Guy, Sunset Magazine, 30 Sep. 2024
In gymnosperm trees, which are usually softwoods like pine or cedar, the microfibrils measure 29 nanometers on average.
—Michael Franco, New Atlas, 31 July 2024
Cycads are gymnosperms, a group that includes conifers and ginkgos.
—Laura Cinti, Ars Technica, 16 June 2024
But this recently discovered preserved pollen came from non-flowering gymnosperms, a group of seed-producing plants that includes conifers such as pine, fir and spruce trees.
—Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Mar. 2023
Roughly 25 gymnosperm species can live 1,000 years or longer.
—Jared Farmer, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Jan. 2023
After the crisis, the dominant seedless ferns were supplanted by seed-bearing gymnosperms such as conifers and ginkgoes.
—National Geographic, 18 Dec. 2019
Yet, once angiosperms emerged, their structural and functional diversity exploded — far outpacing the diversification and spread of the other major plant groups, the gymnosperms (including conifers) and ferns.
—Quanta Magazine, 16 June 2019
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Francisca Oboh Ikuenobe, The Conversation, 20 May 2025
This gymnosperm is found in arid Namibia and Angola and only grows two strap-like leaves during its very long lifetime.
—Kristin Guy, Sunset Magazine, 30 Sep. 2024
In gymnosperm trees, which are usually softwoods like pine or cedar, the microfibrils measure 29 nanometers on average.
—Michael Franco, New Atlas, 31 July 2024
Cycads are gymnosperms, a group that includes conifers and ginkgos.
—Laura Cinti, Ars Technica, 16 June 2024
But this recently discovered preserved pollen came from non-flowering gymnosperms, a group of seed-producing plants that includes conifers such as pine, fir and spruce trees.
—Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Mar. 2023
Roughly 25 gymnosperm species can live 1,000 years or longer.
—Jared Farmer, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Jan. 2023
After the crisis, the dominant seedless ferns were supplanted by seed-bearing gymnosperms such as conifers and ginkgoes.
—National Geographic, 18 Dec. 2019
Yet, once angiosperms emerged, their structural and functional diversity exploded — far outpacing the diversification and spread of the other major plant groups, the gymnosperms (including conifers) and ferns.
—Quanta Magazine, 16 June 2019
Cite this Entry
“Gymnosperm.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gymnosperm. Accessed 14 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
gymnosperm
noun
gym·no·sperm
ˈjim-nə-ˌspərm
: any of a group of woody nonflowering vascular plants (as pines, yews, and gingkos) that produce naked seeds not enclosed in a true fruit
Medical Definition
gymnosperm
noun
gym·no·sperm
ˈjim-nə-ˌspərm
: any of a class (Gymnospermae) of plants (as conifers or cycads) that produce seeds not enclosed in an ovary and possess separate male and female reproductive structures compare angiosperm
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