hornwort
noun
horn·wort
ˈhȯrn-ˌwərt 
-ˌwȯrt
: any of a genus (Ceratophyllum of the family Ceratophyllaceae) of rootless thin-stemmed aquatic monoecious herbs with female flowers having a single carpel
Examples of hornwort in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Along with their cousins liverworts and hornworts, they are known as bryophytes.
—
Elizabeth Waddington, Treehugger, 28 Feb. 2023
Anthocerotae Anthocerotae, also known as hornworts, are the third type of bryophyte.
—Kevin Espiritu For Partselect.com, Good Housekeeping, 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, 21 Aug. 2017
Elizabeth Waddington, Treehugger, 28 Feb. 2023
Anthocerotae Anthocerotae, also known as hornworts, are the third type of bryophyte.
—Kevin Espiritu For Partselect.com, Good Housekeeping, 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, 21 Aug. 2017
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hornwort.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
circa 1805, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near hornwort
Cite this Entry
“Hornwort.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hornwort. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
hornwort
noun
horn·wort
-ˌwərt
-ˌwȯ(ə)rt
: any of various plants that usually live in water and are related to the liverworts
More from Merriam-Webster on hornwort
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about hornwort
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share