Etymology

elaiosome

E1L1A1I1O1S1O1M3E1

Today it means: A fleshy structure rich in lipids attached to the seeds of many plant species, usually to attract ants that disperse the seeds. Full definition →

Ancient Greek ἔλαιον
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The story

  1. Ancient Greek · derived fromἔλαιον“olive oil”
  2. English todayelaiosome

Ancient Greek ἔλαιον (élaion, “olive oil”) + σῶμα (sôma, “body”).

Words from the same roots

Ancient Greekἔλαιον all →

oiloleumazelaicelaeodendrosideelaeoliteelæonelaeopteneelaidicelaiodic acidelayl-ol

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.