noun
cotyledon
kot-ih-LEE-dun/ˌkɑːtɪˈliːdn/
A seed leaf of a plant embryo.
Each cotyledon supplies the young bean plant with stored food.
Etymology
The Greek ancestor named cup-shaped cavities and also a plant; its later botanical use became specialized for the embryo’s seed leaf. The underlying Greek word for “small cup” is of uncertain origin.
In context
those with one cotyledon monocots and those with two cotyledons or dicots
More examples
- A corn embryo has one cotyledon.
- The bean seed splits open, revealing its two cotyledons.
- The seedling's first true leaves look different from its cotyledons.
Forms
cotyledon · cotyledons
cotyledonary adjective — Relating to a plant embryo's seed leaves.
Similar words
- seed leaf
- An everyday name for the same embryonic plant structure.