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protonema

noun

A filament of cells that forms following the germination of the spores of mosses and liverworts

OriginEnglish proto- ← Ancient Greek πρωτο- (prōto-) ← Proto-Indo-European *pró →

Scrabble 13

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Meanings

nounprotonema (plural protonemata or protonemas)

plural protonemata · plural protonemas

biologyA filament of cells that forms following the germination of the spores of mosses and liverworts

Origin

Proto-Indo-European*per-der.?
Proto-Indo-European*pér
Proto-Indo-European*pró
Ancient Greekπρό (pró)
Ancient Greekπρῶτος (prôtos)
Ancient Greekπρωτο- (prōto-)
Englishproto-
Englishprotonema

From proto- + -nema.

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with protonema

schema lima prima eczema pima edema emphysema erythema oedema Sliema treponema Thelema bima bema empyema myxedema trema antieczema A teamer blastema B teamer chromonema diastema Gǃkúnǁʼhòmdímà

Cite this entry

APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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