seed coat
Americannoun
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the outer integument of a seed.
noun
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the nontechnical name for testa
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The outer protective covering of a seed. The seed coat develops from the integument of the ovule.
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Also called testa
Etymology
Origin of seed coat
First recorded in 1790–1800
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Angiosperms evolved from gymnosperms, but how carpels and the second seed coat arose has been a big mystery.
From Science Magazine • May 26, 2021
Scale bar, 30 μm c, Thickness of the internal seed coat layer in bitter and sweet lines. d, Thickness of the external seed coat layer in bitter and sweet lines.
From Nature • Feb. 7, 2017
The medium-size red seeds offer a heartier crunch, thanks to their additional seed coat and a predominant nuttiness.
From Seattle Times • Feb. 12, 2014
Instead, they soft part is a fleshy seed coat — one of the three basic parts of a seed.
From Scientific American • Oct. 17, 2013
Even though the embryo's food supply is protected by the seed coat, it still slowly deteriorates, steadily oxidizing and losing nutritional value.
From How and When to Be Your Own Doctor by Solomon, Steve
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.