Anthesis

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ænˈθisɪs/

Definitions

1. The stage in the life cycle of a plant where the flowers burst open and the reproductive structures are prepared for fertilization occurs during this time
2. This phase refers to the moment in plant development when flowers open fully, allowing for pollination and reproduction
3. The phase in a plant's development when its blossoms open, exposing stamens and pistils for reproduction

Etymology: The Greek word "ánthēsis" simply meant "flowering," and it grew from the verb "anthéō," meaning "to bloom," which in turn came from "ánthos," the ordinary Greek word for a flower or blossom. The ancient Greeks thus named the event itself, the act of a plant opening up, rather than the bloom it produced. English took the term from that Greek root as a technical coinage, so it describes a precise phase of a plant's life instead of a general idea of blossoming. The noun is used in botany and biology for the moment when flowers open and their reproductive parts become ready for pollination.