Stomate
/ˈstoʊ.meɪt/noun
A microscopic pore, especially one on a plant leaf, through which gases and water vapor pass.
Did you know?Stomate comes from the same Greek root as words for the human mouth and speech, because early scientists saw these leaf pores as tiny mouths opening and closing.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Gk
στόμα (stóma)
“mouth; opening”
Late 18th Century
Latin/Scientific
stoma
“a mouthlike opening or pore”
19th Century
English
stomate
“a botanical pore on the surface of a leaf or stem”
Modern English
English
stomate
“a microscopic opening in plant tissue for gas exchange”
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