A young or tender shoot or sprout; esp. the rudimentary shoot of a seed; the acrospire of grain; = spear, n.2 2.

A young growth on a tree, plant, or root; a shoot, sprout, or sucker; a small branch, sprig, or twig; the rudimentary shoot from a seed. Obsolete.

The young shoot of a seed or a grain of cereal. Also with distinguishing word. Occasionally figurative.

Botany. A feathery pappus or other appendage of a seed, which enables it to be dispersed by the wind. Formerly also: †= plumule, n. 1 (obsolete).

The plumule or rudimentary shoot of a seed; spec. the acrospire of grain.

A plant embryo within a seed; (also) the plumule of the embryo in a germinating seed. Cf. germ, n. 2b. Obsolete.

The plumule or shoot of a grain of barley or other cereal used in malting.

A sprout from a seed, root, or tuber. Now chiefly historical.

Botany. = plumule, n. 1. Obsolete.

= plumule, n. 1.

Botany. The part of a plant embryo that develops into the shoot system, consisting of the epicotyl and first leaves.

Botany. = plumule, n. 1. Obsolete. rare.

Zoology. A small gem (see gem, n.1 5) or gemma; spec. a ciliated embryo of one of the Cœlenterata; an encysted mass of sponge-particles, from which…

(see quot.).

In a plant embryo or seedling: the part of the stem located above the cotyledons. Contrasted with hypocotyl, n.