ar·il

[ar-il]
noun Botany.
a usually fleshy appendage or covering of certain seeds, as of the bittersweet, Celastrus scandens, or the nutmeg.

Origin:
1785–95; < Neo-Latin arillus; Medieval Latin: grape seed, probably erroneously for armillus, with same sense; compare Upper Italian dialect armella, arma kernel, pit of a fruit, Italian animella edible insides of an animal < Latin anima literally, spirit (hence, the insides of a thing), with -illa diminutive suffix; see anima

ar·il·loid, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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00:10
Aril is always a great word to know.
So is lollapalooza. Does it mean:
a gadget; dingus; thingumbob.
an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance.
Collins
World English Dictionary
aril (ˈærɪl) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
n
an appendage on certain seeds, such as those of the yew and nutmeg, developed from or near the funicle of the ovule and often brightly coloured and fleshy
 
[C18: from New Latin arillus, from Medieval Latin arilli raisins, pips of grapes]
 
'arillate
 
adj

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

aril
"accessory covering of seeds," 1794, from Mod.L. arillus, from M.L. arilli, Sp. arillos "dried grapes, raisins."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
aril   (ār'əl)  Pronunciation Key 
A fleshy seed cover which arises from the funiculus (the stalk of the ovule). Arils, such the red berry-like arils of the yew, are often brightly colored to attract animals who eat them and disperse the seeds. The spice mace is the aril of the nutmeg seed.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Example sentences
Some conifers, such as yews, have fruits enclosed in a fleshy aril.
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