cotyledon

C3O1T1Y4L1E1D2O1N1
UK/ˌkɒt.ɪˈliː.dən/US/ˌkɑt.əˈliː.dən/

noun

Each of the patches of villi on the foetal chorion in the placenta of ruminants and some other mammals.

Similar
seed leaf
OriginLatin cotylēdōn ← Ancient Greek κοτυληδών →
UncommonScrabble 15
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Meanings

nouncotyledon (plural cotyledons)

plural cotyledons

  1. medicineEach of the patches of villi on the foetal chorion in the placenta of ruminants and some other mammals.

    Forced to apply animal findings to humans, his human womb also had cotyledons like a dog's.

    1997, Roy Porter, The Greatest Benefit to Mankind, Folio Society, published 2016, page 72
  2. biologyThe leaf of the embryo of a seed-bearing plant; after germination it becomes the first leaves of the seedling.

    Synonyms: seed leaf

Synonyms & antonyms

nounThe leaf of the embryo of a seed-bearing plant; after germination it becomes the first leaves of the seedling.

Similar
seed leaf

More synonyms by meaning

nounembryonic leaf in seed-bearing plants

Similar
seed leaf
Broader
cataphyll
Also see
seed leaf

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekκοτυληδών“cup-shaped cavity”
  2. Latincotylēdōn
  3. Englishcotyledon

From Latin cotylēdōn, from Ancient Greek κοτυληδών (kotulēdṓn, “cup-shaped cavity”), from κοτύλη (kotúlē, “cup”).

More words from Latin, Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan cotilèdon
  • cotilèdonleaf of the embryo of a seed-bearing plant
Dutch zaadlob
  • zaadlobleaf of the embryo of a seed-bearing plant
Finnish sirkkalehti
  • sirkkalehtileaf of the embryo of a seed-bearing plant
French cotylédon
  • cotylédonleaf of the embryo of a seed-bearing plant
German Keimblatt
  • Keimblattleaf of the embryo of a seed-bearing plant
Greek κοτυληδόνα
  • κοτυληδόνα (kotylidóna)leaf of the embryo of a seed-bearing plant
Hawaiian pepeiao
  • pepeiaoleaf of the embryo of a seed-bearing plant
Hungarian sziklevél
  • sziklevélleaf of the embryo of a seed-bearing plant
Icelandic kímblað
  • kímblaðleaf of the embryo of a seed-bearing plant
Italian cotiledone
  • cotiledoneleaf of the embryo of a seed-bearing plant
Japanese 子葉
  • 子葉 (shiyō)leaf of the embryo of a seed-bearing plant
Korean 떡잎
  • 떡잎 (tteogip)leaf of the embryo of a seed-bearing plant
Polish liścień
  • liścieńleaf of the embryo of a seed-bearing plant
Portuguese cotilédone
  • cotilédoneleaf of the embryo of a seed-bearing plant
Romanian cotiledon
  • cotiledonleaf of the embryo of a seed-bearing plant
Russian семядо́ля
  • семядо́ля (semjadólja)leaf of the embryo of a seed-bearing plant
Spanish cotiledón
  • cotiledónleaf of the embryo of a seed-bearing plant
Tagalog bindahon
  • bindahonleaf of the embryo of a seed-bearing plant
Thai ใบเลี้ยง
  • ใบเลี้ยง (bai-líiang)leaf of the embryo of a seed-bearing plant
Welsh had-ddeilen
  • had-ddeilenleaf of the embryo of a seed-bearing plant

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with cotyledon

SwedenedenWhedonBreedenPedenacotyledonboustrophedondicotyledonmicrocotyledonmonocotyledonpolycotyledonreedentricotyledon
All rhymes →

Anagrams

tylecodon
Cite this entry
APA

cotyledon. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cotyledon

MLA

“cotyledon.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cotyledon. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “cotyledon,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cotyledon.

Source: cotyledon on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.