achene

• achaenium, achenium
• (alternative spelling) akene

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

• (UK) IPA^(key): /əˈkiːn/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

• Rhymes: -iːn

achene (plural achenes)

1. (botany) A small, dry, indehiscent fruit, containing a single seed, as in the buttercup.

   Synonyms: achenium, (obsolete) spermidium

   • 2018, Richard Powers, The Overstory, Vintage (2019), page 37:

     The mulberry puts forth its messy clusters of achenes.

• Early botanists referred to achenes as naked seeds.

• William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “achene”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.
• “achene”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
• achene on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

• Cheena