1. the hard inner layers of the wall of a fruit that directly surround the seeds
Usage: botanical

Examples

• The endocarps of peaches and cherries form the hard pits we remove before eating.
• Botanists study how endocarps develop to protect seeds during fruit maturation.
• The woody endocarps of walnuts require considerable force to crack open.
• Different fruit species have endocarps of varying thickness and hardness.
• The endocarps separate easily from the flesh in some stone fruits.
• Researchers examined the endocarps under a microscope to identify the species.