Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web
Related Searches
Synonyms
Nearby Words

phellem

 - 7 dictionary results

phel⋅lem

  [fel-uhm, -em]
Use phellem in a Sentence
–noun Botany.
cork (def. 6).
Origin:
1885–90; < Gk phell(ós) cork + (phlo)em

cork

  [kawrk]
–noun
1. the outer bark of an oak, Quercus suber, of Mediterranean countries, used for making stoppers for bottles, floats, etc.
2. Also called cork oak. the tree itself.
3. something made of cork.
4. a piece of cork, rubber, or the like used as a stopper, as for a bottle.
5. Angling. a small float to buoy up a fishing line or to indicate that a fish is biting.
6. Also called phellem, suber. Botany. an outer tissue of bark produced by and exterior to the phellogen.
–verb (used with object)
7. to provide or fit with cork or a cork.
8. to stop with or as if with a cork (often fol. by up).
9. to blacken with burnt cork.
—Idiom
10. blow or pop one's cork, Informal. to lose one's temper; release one's emotional or physical tension.
Origin:
1275–1325; ME cork(e) < Ar qurq < L quercus oak
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To phellem
cork   (kôrk)   
n.  

  1. The lightweight elastic outer bark of the cork oak, used especially for bottle closures, insulation, floats, and crafts.

    1. Something made of cork, especially a bottle stopper.

    2. A bottle stopper made of other material, such as plastic.

  3. A small float used on a fishing line or net to buoy up the line or net or to indicate when a fish bites.

  4. Botany A nonliving, water-resistant protective tissue that is formed on the outside of the cork cambium in the woody stems and roots of many seed plants. Also called phellem.

tr.v.   corked, cork·ing, corks

  1. To stop or seal with or as if with a cork.

  2. To restrain or check; hold back: tried to cork my anger.

  3. To blacken with burnt cork.


[Middle English, from Dutch kurk or Low German korck, both from Spanish alcorque, cork-soled shoe, probably from Arabic dialectal al-qūrq : al-, the + qūrq (from Latin quercus, oak; see perkwu- in Indo-European roots).]
phel·lem   (fěl'əm, -ěm')   
n.   Botany
See cork.

[German : Greek phellos, cork; see bhel-2 in Indo-European roots + -em (as in Phloëm, phloem; see phloem).]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Word Origin & History

cork 
1303, from Sp. alcorque "cork sole," prob. from Ar. al-qurq, ult. from L. quercus "oak" or cortex (gen. corticis) "bark." The verb "to stop with a cork" is from 1650; hence slang corker "something that closes a discussion" (1837). Corkscrew is from 1720; the verb is from 1837.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Science Dictionary
cork   (kôrk)  Pronunciation Key 

  1. The outermost layer of tissue in woody plants that is resistant to the passage of water vapor and gases and that becomes the bark. Cork is secondary tissue, formed on the outside of the tissue layer known as cork cambium. The cell walls of cork cells contain suberin. Once they mature, cork cells die. Also called phellem.

  2. The lightweight, elastic outer bark of the cork oak, which grows near the Mediterranean Sea. Cork is used for bottle stoppers, insulation, and other products.


phellem   (fěl'əm)  Pronunciation Key 
See cork.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see phellem on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us:
Partner Sites:
Ask AnswersEviteExpediaHotelsHotwireLife123LiveDailyMy Way