Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun One of the small, corky, oval or elongated areas on the surface of a plant stem, trunk, or fruit that allow the interchange of gases between the interior tissue and the surrounding air.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun In botany, a lens-shaped body of cells formed in the periderm or corky layer of bark, which by its enlargement soon ruptures the epidermis, or the older corky layers where such are present.
- noun In anatomy, one of the small mucous crypts or follicles of the base of the tongue having the shape of a lentil; a lenticular gland.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun One of the small, oval, rounded spots upon the stem or branch of a plant, from which the underlying tissues may protrude or roots may issue, either in the air, or more commonly when the stem or branch is covered with water or earth.
- noun A small, lens-shaped gland on the under side of some leaves.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun One of the small, oval, rounded spots upon the
stem or branch of a plant, from which the underlying tissues mayprotrude orroots may issue, either in the air, or more commonly when the stem or branch is covered with water or earth. - noun A small, lens-shaped gland on the under side of some leaves.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun one of many raised pores on the stems of woody plants that allow the interchange of gas between the atmosphere and the interior tissue
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
[New Latin lenticella, diminutive of lēns, lent-, lens; see lens.]
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
From French lenticelle, from Latin lens
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Examples
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It was a lenticel, a characteristic preparation from the elder-tree.
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Hill watched the clock hands until two minutes remained; then he opened the book of answers, and, with hot ears and an affectation of ease, gave his drawing of the lenticel its name.
mollusque commented on the word lenticel
The little dots on fruits such as apples are lenticels.
April 3, 2008
chained_bear commented on the word lenticel
I think this has to go on reesetee's "It Has a Name?" list.
April 3, 2008
bilby commented on the word lenticel
Hmmm. What about the slightly larger marks that look like beauty spots? Are they lenticels or something else? Where's our resident Rosacean when we need him/her?
April 3, 2008
mollusque commented on the word lenticel
Could be lenticel breakdown, an emerging disease of apples.
April 3, 2008
reesetee commented on the word lenticel
Duly noted, c_b, and thanks, mollusque.
April 3, 2008
chained_bear commented on the word lenticel
This word still makes me think of Lent and cellulose acetate. Or lentils.
April 10, 2008