Beltian body

noun

A structure found on the tips of leaflets in some acacias, rich in lipids and proteins, believed to have evolved as part of a symbiotic relationship with ants.

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Meanings

nounBeltian body (plural Beltian bodies)

plural Beltian bodies

  1. biologyA structure found on the tips of leaflets in some acacias, rich in lipids and proteins, believed to have evolved as part of a symbiotic relationship with ants.

Origin

From Belt + -ian, after Thomas Belt (1832–1878), English geologist and naturalist.

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Cite this entry
APA

Beltian body. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Beltian%20body

MLA

“Beltian body.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Beltian%20body. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Beltian body,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Beltian%20body.

Source: Beltian body on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.