Lenticel
/ˈlɛn.tɪ.sɛl/noun
A small porous opening in the bark of a woody plant that allows gas exchange.
Did you know?The name comes from Latin *lenticula*, “little lens,” because these pores were thought to be shaped like tiny lenses, not because they were mystical—but the image is eerily perfect for a plant’s secret window.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*lent-
“to bend, curve, or be flexible”
Latin
Latin
lens, lentis
“lentil; also the source of the word for a lens because of the bean’s shape”
Late Latin
Latin
lenticula
“little lentil; little lens-shaped object”
Early Modern Botanical Latin
Latin
lenticella
“a small lens-like spot or pore”
Modern English
English
lenticel
“a small pore in plant bark for gas exchange”
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