plural dicotyledons
: any of a class or subclass (Magnoliopsida or Dicotyledoneae) of angiospermous plants that produce an embryo with two cotyledons and usually have floral organs arranged in cycles of four or five and leaves with reticulate venation

called also dicot

compare monocotyledon

Word History

Etymology

New Latin

First Known Use

1725, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of dicotyledon was in 1725

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Cite this Entry

“Dicotyledon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dicotyledon. Accessed 28 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

dicotyledon

noun
: any of a group of flowering plants (as an aster, an oak, or a bean) having an embryo with two cotyledons, leaves with veins that usually branch and interlace to form a network, and flower parts that occur in groups of four or five compare monocotyledon

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