Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

elaiosome

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 0.00 in modern English

Syllables: elaio-some
IPA

11

Scrabble Score

9

Letters

2

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A fleshy structure rich in lipids attached to the seeds of many plant species, usually to attract ants that disperse the seeds.

Example Sentences

"Ants collect the diaspores for the edible elaiosome, carry them to their nests and consume the elaiosomes. Sometimes, the elaiosome content is sucked from the diaspores, or the elaiosome is loosened on the way to the nest."
"Experiments with removal of C.^([Corydalis]) cava seeds with elaiosomes ablated, and with paper balls, infiltrated with juices of seed bodies and elaiosomes, showed the crucial role of elaiosome content in the ant attraction."
"Elaiosomes also vary in size, and ants in many instances preferentially disperse diaspores with the greatest elaiosome/diaspore mass ratio, although plants produce seeds of different sizes, allowing for a variety of ants to effect their dispersal"

Etymology

Ancient Greek ἔλαιον (élaion, “olive oil”) + σῶμα (sôma, “body”).

Inflected Forms

elaiosomes (plural)

Frequently Paired Words

diaspore myrmecochory

Questions

What does elaiosome mean?: A fleshy structure rich in lipids attached to the seeds of many plant species, usually to attract ants that disperse the seeds.
Where does elaiosome come from?: Ancient Greek ἔλαιον (élaion, “olive oil”) + σῶμα (sôma, “body”).

How to pronounce elaiosome

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