Monocot

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A classification of flowering plants that possess a single cotyledon in their seeds, exhibit parallel venation in leaves, and typically have floral organs in threes
2. This group includes various plants with one embryonic leaf, elongated leaves, and a specific root architecture while showcasing herbaceous forms predominantly
3. A category of angiosperms characterized by having a single embryonic leaf; they display parallel leaf veins and often feature floral parts in multiples of three

Etymology: "Monocot" is a clipped form of "monocotyledon," and the longer word is a compound built from two Greek pieces. The first, "mono-," comes from Greek "mónos," meaning "single" or "alone." The second, "cotyledon," was borrowed into Latin as "cotylēdōn" from the Greek "kotulēdṓn," a word for a cup-shaped hollow, which is also linked to "kotulē," a cup or bowl. The name fits the plant's embryo: a monocot seed holds a single seed leaf, which is the cotyledon, and the cup image describes the seed's shape as the young plant first emerges. The Greek roots also explain the modern sense. "Cotyledon" was taken into scientific English to name this seed leaf, and "monocotyledon" was coined by combining it with "mono-" to mark plants whose seeds produce just one. The term is a deliberate botanical formation rather than an ancient word, so the Greeks themselves would not have used it for flowering plants.

Synonyms: monocotyledon