hornwort

H4O1R1N1W4O1R1T1

noun

Any of certain bryophytes, of phylum Anthocerotophyta, with a leafless thallus characterized by a dominant gametophyte stage of the life cycle and a sporophyte stage shaped like a horn.

Similar
coontail
Scrabble 14
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Meanings

nounhornwort (plural hornworts)

plural hornworts

  1. Any of certain bryophytes, of phylum Anthocerotophyta, with a leafless thallus characterized by a dominant gametophyte stage of the life cycle and a sporophyte stage shaped like a horn.
  2. An aquatic flowering plant in the genus Ceratophyllum

    Synonyms: coontail

  3. Vernal grasses (Anthoxanthum spp.).

Synonyms & antonyms

nounAn aquatic flowering plant in the genus Ceratophyllum

Similar
coontail
Also see
morass-weed

Origin

From horn + wort (“plant”), from the fact that the spores are produced in slender horn-shaped structures.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Afrikaans horingblad
  • horingbladBryophyte
Chinese Mandarin 角苔, 角蘚 /角藓
  • 角苔 (jiǎotái)Bryophyte
  • 角蘚 /角藓 (jiǎoxiǎn)Bryophyte
Czech hlevík
  • hlevíkBryophyte
Finnish sarvisammal
  • sarvisammalBryophyte
German Hornmoos
  • HornmoosBryophyte
Hungarian becősmohák
  • becősmohákBryophyte
Italian antocerote
  • antoceroteBryophyte
Polish glewiki, rogatek sztywny
  • glewikiBryophyte
  • rogatek sztywnyAquatic flowering plant
Portuguese antóceros
  • antócerosBryophyte
Spanish antocerotófito
  • antocerotófitoBryophyte
Swedish nålfruktsmossor
  • nålfruktsmossorBryophyte
Turkish boynuz otları
  • boynuz otlarıBryophyte
Welsh cornllys, cyrnddail
  • cornllysBryophyte
  • cyrnddailAquatic flowering plant
Cite this entry
APA

hornwort. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hornwort

MLA

“hornwort.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hornwort. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “hornwort,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hornwort.

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