hornwort

noun horn·wort \ ˈhȯrn-ˌwərt , -ˌwȯrt \

|Updated on: 23 May 2018

Definition of hornwort

: any of a genus (Ceratophyllum of the family Ceratophyllaceae) of rootless thin-stemmed aquatic monoecious herbs with female flowers having a single carpel

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Recent Examples of hornwort from the Web

Anthocerotae Anthocerotae, also known as hornworts, are the third type of bryophyte.

— kevin espiritu for partselect.com, Good Housekeeping, "How And Why You Should Try Growing Moss In Your Garden," 29 Aug. 2017
Oishi said humid cities where moss thrives could benefit most from using bryophytes – a collective term for mosses, hornworts and liverworts – as bioindicators, adding moss could be monitored in its natural environment or cultivated for analysis.

— sophie hares, The Christian Science Monitor, "Moss could be used to monitor urban pollution, Japanese scientists say," 21 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hornwort.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.