monocot
noun
mono·cot
ˈmä-nə-ˌkät 
plural monocots
: a chiefly herbaceous angiospermous plant (such as a grass, lily, or palm) having an embryo with a single cotyledon, usually parallel-veined leaves, and floral organs arranged in multiples of three : monocotyledon
Monocots account for a quarter of all flowering plants.—
Caroline Brogan
Caroline BroganScientists have long had trouble placing monocots, whose seeds contain just one embryonic leaf, on the plant family tree.—Elizabeth Pennisi
—often used before another nounElizabeth Pennisimonocot plants
… major monocot crops such as barley, sorghum, maize, rice, wheat, and soybean.—Persistence Market Research
compare dicot
Persistence Market ResearchExamples of monocot in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Members of the genus are mycoheterotrophic monocot plants that depend on fungi for nutrition and the trees that sustain those fungi.
—Melissa Breyer, Treehugger, 27 Feb. 2023
The monocots require little attention, and deer rarely even attempt to consume the rough leaves.
—cleveland, 4 June 2020
Some people have observed injury to monocots like iris and daylilies, while others have not.
—Melinda Myers, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 9 Mar. 2018
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Melissa Breyer, Treehugger, 27 Feb. 2023
The monocots require little attention, and deer rarely even attempt to consume the rough leaves.
—cleveland, 4 June 2020
Some people have observed injury to monocots like iris and daylilies, while others have not.
—Melinda Myers, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 9 Mar. 2018
Cite this Entry
“Monocot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/monocot. Accessed 15 Jul. 2025.
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