pericarp
noun
peri·carp
ˈper-ə-ˌkärp 
plural pericarps
: the ripened and variously modified walls of a plant ovary composed of an outer exocarp, middle mesocarp, and inner endocarp layer see endocarp illustration
Examples of pericarp in a Sentence
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Each has a tough outer shell, called the pericarp, within which lies the germ (seed embryo) and the endosperm.
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Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 27 Dec. 2022
As the kernel heats up, the water inside the endosperm turns into superheated steam, increasing the pressure inside the pericarp.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 27 Dec. 2022
And of the proteins in the sample, 13 are found only in einkorn’s genus, mostly in the inner contents and the outer layer, or pericarp, of the seeds.
—Kiona N. Smith, Ars Technica, 13 July 2018
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Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 27 Dec. 2022
As the kernel heats up, the water inside the endosperm turns into superheated steam, increasing the pressure inside the pericarp.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 27 Dec. 2022
And of the proteins in the sample, 13 are found only in einkorn’s genus, mostly in the inner contents and the outer layer, or pericarp, of the seeds.
—Kiona N. Smith, Ars Technica, 13 July 2018
Cite this Entry
“Pericarp.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pericarp. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
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