ostiole

[ os-tee-ohl ]

noun
  1. Biology. a small opening or pore, especially in the fruiting body of a fungus.

Origin of ostiole

1
1825–35; <Latin ōstiolum little door, equivalent to ōsti(um) door (see ostium) + -olum-ole1

Other words from ostiole

  • os·ti·o·lar [os-tee-uh-ler, o-stahy-], /ˈɒs ti ə lər, ɒˈstaɪ-/, adjective

Words Nearby ostiole

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use ostiole in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for ostiole

ostiole

/ (ˈɒstɪˌəʊl) /


nounbiology
  1. the pore in the reproductive bodies of certain algae and fungi through which spores pass

  2. any small pore

Origin of ostiole

1
C19: from Latin ostiolum, diminutive of ostium door

Derived forms of ostiole

  • ostiolar (ˈɒstɪələ) or ostiolate, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012