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ELATER

 - 2 dictionary results

el⋅a⋅ter

  [el-uh-ter]
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–noun
1. Botany. an elastic filament serving to disperse spores.
2. Zoology. elaterid.
3. Obsolete. elasticity.
Origin:
1645–55; < NL < Gk elatr driver, equiv. to ela- (s. of elaúnein to drive; see elastic ) + -tēr n. suffix
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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el·a·ter   (ěl'ə-tər)   
n.  

  1. An elaterid beetle.

  2. Botany A tiny elongated structure that forces the dispersal of spores by the absorption of moisture. It is either a band attached to the spore, as in horsetails, or a filament occurring among the spores, as in liverworts.


[Greek elatēr, driver, from elaunein, to drive.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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