car·y·op·sis (kār'ē-ŏp'sĭs) n. pl. car·y·op·ses (-ŏp'sēz') or car·y·op·si·des (-ŏp'sĭ-dēz') See grain. [cary(o)-, variant of karyo- + -opsis.] |
grain (grān) n.
v. tr.
To form grains. [Middle English, from Old French graine, from Latin grānum; see g ə-no- in Indo-European roots.]grain'er n. |
| caryopsis (kār'ē-ŏp'sĭs) Pronunciation Key
Plural caryopses (kār'ē-ŏp'sēz') or caryopsides (kār'ē-ŏp'sĭ-dēz') A small, dry, one-seeded fruit of a cereal grass, having the fruit and the seed walls united. Also called grain. |
caryopsis
specialized type of dry, one-seeded fruit (achene) characteristic of grasses, in which the ovary wall is united with the seed coat, making it difficult to separate the two except by special milling processes. All the cereal grains except buckwheat have caryopses.
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