Gymnosperm
/ˈdʒɪm.noʊ.spɜːrm/noun
A seed plant, such as a conifer, whose seeds are not enclosed in an ovary or fruit.
Did you know?Gymnosperm was coined from Greek roots in botanical science, and its “naked seed” contrast was later paired with angiosperm, the “vessel seed,” to classify the two great seed-plant lineages.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
[0;0m*nogʷʰ-
“to be naked, bare”
Ancient Greek
Greek
gymnós
“naked, bare”
Ancient Greek
Greek
spérma
“seed, offspring”
Early 19th Century
English
gymnosperm
“a plant with naked seeds”
Modern English
English
gymnosperm
“a seed plant whose seeds are not enclosed in fruit”
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