noun
- a flowering plant that has two cotyledons (seed leaves) and typically has leaves with parallel veins, flower parts in multiples of three, and a fibrous root system
Usage: also called monocot; botanical term; common in biology and botany education
Examples
- Grasses and orchids are examples of dicotyledons.
- The dicotyledon has a single seed leaf that emerges during germination.
- In botany class, students learned to distinguish dicotyledons from dicots by examining leaf venation.
- Corn and wheat are important dicotyledons used as food crops worldwide.
- The flower of a typical dicotyledon has petals arranged in groups of three.