paraphysis

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noun

A minute jointed filament growing among the archegonia and antheridia of mosses, or with the spore cases, etc., of other flowerless plants.

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Meanings

nounparaphysis (plural paraphyses)

plural paraphyses

  1. biologyA minute jointed filament growing among the archegonia and antheridia of mosses, or with the spore cases, etc., of other flowerless plants.

    Spores tetrahedral, paraphyses mastoid-claviform, scales smooth, entire.

    1899, Memoirs of the Torrey Botanical Club, volumes 6-8, page 192
  2. biologyA type of sterile cell amongst the spore-bearing asci.
  3. anatomyA derivative of the roof-plate of the telencephalon.

Origin

From para- + -physis.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

paraphysis. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/paraphysis

MLA

“paraphysis.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/paraphysis. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “paraphysis,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/paraphysis.

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