Acrospire
/ˈæk.rəʊˌspaɪə(r)/noun
The first shoot of a germinating grain, especially barley.
Did you know?Acrospire comes from the same Greek root as words like *acropolis* and *acrobat*, because *akros* means “highest” or “topmost,” while *spire* comes from a root meaning “to breathe” or “to sprout.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ak-
“to be sharp, pointed, or high”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ákros
“highest, topmost, extreme”
Late Latin
Latin
spīra
“coil, twist; later used in forms relating to shoots or spirals”
Middle English
English
acrospyr / acrospire
“the first sprout or shoot of grain”
Modern English
English
acrospire
“the first shoot of a germinating grain, especially barley”
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