Meanings
cyme1
plural cymes · alternative cime
- biologyA flattish or convex flower cluster, of the centrifugal or determinate type, on which each axis terminates with a flower which blooms before the flowers below it.
The inflorescence is some form of cyme, and the flowers are usually regular.
1906, “Gentianaceæ”, in Daniel Coit Gilman, Harry Thurston Peck, Frank Moore Colby, editors, The New International Encyclopædia2 more examples
The plant bears small groups of two or three yellowish coloured flowers on an axillary cyme.
2003, S. M. Reddy, S. J. Chary, University Botany 2: Gymnosperms, Plant Anatomy, Genetics, Ecology, page 190The flower cluster is a cyme (terminal flower is the most advanced), is terminal within the bud and may contain up to six individual flowers.
2003, David Curtis Ferree, Ian J. Warrington, Apples: Botany, Production and Uses, page 157 - architectureA cyma.
cyme2
- misspellingMisspelling of senna.
Origin
cyme · noun
- Ancient Greekκῦμα“anything swollen, such as a wave or billow”; “fetus”, “embryo”, “sprout of a plant”
- Latincȳma“young sprout of a cabbage”, “spring shoots of cabbage”
- Vulgar Latin*cima
- Frenchcime
- Englishcyme
] Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ḱewh₁- Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *-éyeti Proto-Indo-European *ḱuh₁éyeti Ancient Greek κῠ́ω (kŭ́ō) Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥ Proto-Hellenic *-mə Ancient Greek -μᾰ (-mă) Ancient Greek κῦμᾰ (kûmă)bor. Latin cȳma Old French cime French cimebor. English cyme Borrowed from French cime, cyme (“top, summit”), from Vulgar Latin *cima, from Latin cȳma (“young sprout of a cabbage”, “spring shoots of cabbage”), from Ancient Greek κῦμα (kûma, “anything swollen, such as a wave or billow”; “fetus”, “embryo”, “sprout of a plant”), from κύω (kúō, “to conceive”, “to become pregnant”; in the aorist “to impregnate”). For considerably more information, see cyma, which is an etymological doublet. Compare also Frankish *kīmō (“sprout”), from Proto-Germanic *kīmô, whence German Keim (“sprout”).
More words from French, Vulgar Latin, Latin
Full word history & related roots →cyme · noun
An error for cynne, probably resulting from the overlapping of the two ens in handwriting.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Danish kvast
- kvastbotany: a centrifugal or definite inflorescence, esp. compound inflorescences of this type forming a more or less flat head
Esperanto cumo
- cumobotany: a centrifugal or definite inflorescence, esp. compound inflorescences of this type forming a more or less flat head
Finnish viuhko
- viuhkobotany: a centrifugal or definite inflorescence, esp. compound inflorescences of this type forming a more or less flat head
German Zyme
- Zymebotany: a centrifugal or definite inflorescence, esp. compound inflorescences of this type forming a more or less flat head
Norwegian Bokmål kvast
- kvastbotany: a centrifugal or definite inflorescence, esp. compound inflorescences of this type forming a more or less flat head
Polish wierzchotka
- wierzchotkabotany: a centrifugal or definite inflorescence, esp. compound inflorescences of this type forming a more or less flat head
Portuguese cima, cimeira
- cimabotany: a centrifugal or definite inflorescence, esp. compound inflorescences of this type forming a more or less flat head
- cimeirabotany: a centrifugal or definite inflorescence, esp. compound inflorescences of this type forming a more or less flat head
Swedish centrifugal inflorenscens, cymös blomställning
- centrifugal inflorenscensbotany: a centrifugal or definite inflorescence, esp. compound inflorescences of this type forming a more or less flat head
- cymös blomställningbotany: a centrifugal or definite inflorescence, esp. compound inflorescences of this type forming a more or less flat head
- knippelik blomställningbotany: a centrifugal or definite inflorescence, esp. compound inflorescences of this type forming a more or less flat head
- begränsad blomställningbotany: a centrifugal or definite inflorescence, esp. compound inflorescences of this type forming a more or less flat head
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with cyme
Cite this entry
cyme. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cyme
“cyme.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cyme. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “cyme,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cyme.
Source: cyme on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.