Elater
//ɪˈleɪ.tə// noun
noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 That which elates.
- 2 Elasticity; especially the expansibility of a gas. obsolete
- 3 any of various widely distributed beetles wordnet
- 4 A long, slender cell produced among spores and having hygroscopic secondary cell wall thickenings.
"The closest affinities of the Jubulaceae are with the Lejeuneaceae. The two families share in common: (a) elaters usually 1-spiral, trumpet-shaped and fixed to the capsule valves, distally[…]"
- 5 Any of the long, slender hygroscopic appendages attached to the spores of horsetails (genus Equisetum).
Show 1 more definition
- 6 An elaterid, or click beetle.
Example
More examples"The closest affinities of the Jubulaceae are with the Lejeuneaceae. The two families share in common: (a) elaters usually 1-spiral, trumpet-shaped and fixed to the capsule valves, distally[…]"
Etymology
Etymology 1
From elate + -er.
Etymology 2
From New Latin elatēr, from Ancient Greek ἐλατήρ (elatḗr, “driver, that which drives away”).
Related phrases
More for "elater"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.