1. A small, dry, one-seeded fruit that does not open naturally to release the seed.
Usage: botanical term; also spelled achaene

Examples

• The sunflower produces many achenes, each containing a single seed.
• Strawberries are not berries but aggregates of achenes surrounded by fleshy tissue.
• Buttercups develop achenes as their fruit type.
• The dandelion's seed head consists of achenes attached to parachute-like structures.
• Botanists classify the fruit of the rose as a collection of achenes.