Spathe
//speɪð// noun
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A large bract that envelops or subtends a whole inflorescence, typically a spadix.
- 2 a conspicuous bract surrounding or subtending a spadix or other inflorescence wordnet
Example
More examples"While the individual flowers are destitute of a perigone, the whole inflorescence (cluster of flowers) is surrounded by a large leaf (spathe), which sometimes is brilliantly colored, this serving to attract insects."
Etymology
From Latin spatha, from Ancient Greek σπάθη (spáthē, “blade”). Doublet of epee, spatha, and spade.
More for "spathe"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.