(botany) Alternative form of monocotyledon. [(botany) Any plant whose seedlings typically have one cotyledon (seed leaf) (in contrast to the two cotyledons typical of dicots), thereby belonging to the taxonomic monocots, formerly variously known as Monocotyledones, Monocotyledonae, or Liliopsida, a class in the angiosperms (Angiospermae), the flowering plants.]
Used in a Sentence
monocots
Definition, parts of speech, synonyms, and sentence examples for monocots.
Editorial note
We already know why monocots don't make trees more significant than palms (read: vascular bundles and eusteles).
Examples17
Definitions1
Parts of speech1
Quick take
(botany) Alternative form of monocotyledon. [(botany) Any plant whose seedlings typically have one cotyledon (seed leaf) (in contrast to the two cotyledons typical of dicots), thereby belonging to the taxonomic monocots, formerly variously known as Monocotyledones, Monocotyledonae, or Liliopsida, a class in the angiosperms (Angiospermae), the flowering plants.]
Meaning at a glance
The clearest senses and uses of monocots gathered in one view.
Definitions
Core meanings and parts of speech for monocots.
noun
(botany) Alternative form of monocotyledon. [(botany) Any plant whose seedlings typically have one cotyledon (seed leaf) (in contrast to the two cotyledons typical of dicots), thereby belonging to the taxonomic monocots, formerly variously known as Monocotyledones, Monocotyledonae, or Liliopsida, a class in the angiosperms (Angiospermae), the flowering plants.]
Example sentences
We already know why monocots don't make trees more significant than palms (read: vascular bundles and eusteles).
A lot of grasses are dicot, any one with ornate leaves (monocots have blade-like leaves).
Some of the seeds have 1 seed leaf (cotyledon), so are called monocotyledonous plants: monocots.
The monocots are a huge clade, making up 23% of all angiosperm (flowering plant) species.
You know, I never considered that almost all plants we eat are angiosperms (flowering plants, monocots + dicots).
All cereals (except some false cereals like buckwheat) are monocots, but all are wind-pollinated.
I missed the one mention of Asparagacae and was mislead by the (now clearly irrelevant) discussion of monocots.
The outliers are scallions (onions, garlic etc.) that are in Monocots order.
By the way, there are some fruit that branch off before the divergence between monocots and eudicots and are in a group generally called Magnoliids.
That actually makes more sense to me though, as they're monocots.
Some monocots use insect pollination and some make edible fruit.
Hand-wavey generalisation: most monocots are wind-pollinated, and don't need insects.
Quote examples
Many monocots and gymnosperms (cycads) either don't branch, or do so irregularly (they'll look "messy", think Joshua trees or branching palms), and cuttings aren't a viable means of propagation.
“For the first time, grafting has been made to work in monocots” Hard to imagine how grafting wheat or oats would be helpful, but maybe grafting bananas?
I recently learned that (Wikipedia) "Vascular cambia are found in all seed plants except for five angiosperm lineages which have independently lost it; Nymphaeales, Ceratophyllum, Nelumbo, Podostemaceae, and monocots.[1]" Four of these lineages are aquatic plants (including water lilies) and some scientists theorize monocots may have also evolved in the water.
Proper noun examples
(Monocots and Dicots split ~140-150 Myr ago [0], Arthropoda and Chordata about ~1000 Myr ago [1]) (I initially thought the Monocots/Dicots split was further back...
There are a few other linages outside of Poaceae that have convergently evolved to look like grasses, sedges and rushes, but they all fall in the same clade, Monocots.
Frequently asked questions
Short answers drawn from the clearest meanings and examples for this word.
How do you use monocots in a sentence?
We already know why monocots don't make trees more significant than palms (read: vascular bundles and eusteles).
What does monocots mean?
(botany) Alternative form of monocotyledon. [(botany) Any plant whose seedlings typically have one cotyledon (seed leaf) (in contrast to the two cotyledons typical of dicots), thereby belonging to the taxonomic monocots, formerly variously known as Monocotyledones, Monocotyledonae, or Liliopsida, a class in the angiosperms (Angiospermae), the flowering plants.]
What part of speech is monocots?
monocots is commonly used as noun.