[ey-keen, uh-keen] 
| any small, dry, hard, one-seeded, indehiscent fruit. |
a·chene also a·kene (ā-kēn')  (click for larger image in new window) n. A small, dry, indehiscent one-seeded fruit with a thin wall, as in the sunflower. [New Latin achēnium : Greek a-, without; see a-1 + Greek khainein, to yawn.] a·che'ni·al (-nē-əl) adj. |
| achene also akene (ā-kēn') Pronunciation Key
A small, dry, one-seeded fruit in which the seed sits free inside the hollow fruit, attached only by the stem of the ovule. Achenes are indehiscent (they do not split open when ripe). The fruits of the sunflower and elm are achenes. |
