achene

See also: achène

English

Alternative forms

• achaenium, achenium
• (alternative spelling) akene

Etymology

From French achène and its source, New Latin achena, from Ancient Greek ἀ- (a-, “a-”) + χαίνω (khaínō, “to gape”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /əˈkiːn/

  • Audio (Southern England)

    (file)

• Rhymes: -iːn

Noun

achene (plural achenes)

1. (botany) A small, dry, indehiscent fruit, containing a single seed, as in the buttercup.
   • 2018, Richard Powers, The Overstory, Vintage (2019), page 37:

     The mulberry puts forth its messy clusters of achenes.

Usage notes

Early botanists referred to achenes as naked seeds.

Derived terms

• achenocarp
• polyachene

 

Translations

small dry fruit

• Catalan: aqueni m
• Czech: nažka f
• Dutch: dopvrucht f
• Esperanto: akeno
• Finnish: pähkylä (fi)
• French: akène (fr) m
• German: Achäne (de) f; genera Fragaria and Rosa: Nüsschen (de) n
• Irish: aicéin f
• Italian: achenio (it) m
• Lombard: achénio m
• Norwegian: akene m
• Persian: فندقه‎ (fa) (fandoqe)
• Polish: niełupka (pl) f
• Portuguese: aquênio (pt) m, aquénio (pt) m
• Romanian: achenă (ro) f
• Russian: семя́нка (ru) f (semjánka)
• Spanish: aquenio (es) m
• Swedish: nötfrukt c
• Tagalog: binhimbunga
• Turkish: aken (tr)
• Welsh: achen m

Further reading

• achene in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911
• achene at OneLook Dictionary Search

Anagrams

• Cheena