1. (n.) A little leaf bud, as the plumule between the cotyledons.
2. (n.) One of the buds of mosses.
3. (n.) One of the reproductive spores of algae.
4. (n.) An ovule.
5. (n.) A bud produced in generation by gemmation.
6. (n.) One of the imaginary granules or atoms which, according to Darwin's hypothesis of pangenesis, are continually being thrown off from every cell or unit, and circulate freely throughout the system, and when supplied with proper nutriment multiply by self-division and ultimately develop into cells like those from which they were derived. They are supposed to be transmitted from the parent to the offspring, but are often transmitted in a dormant state during many generations and are then developed. See Pangenesis.
Thesaurus Entries
Anlage, acrospire, aunt, auntie, blood brother, boy, brethren, brother, bub, bubba, buck, buddy, burgeon, burst forth, chick, chickabiddy, colt, country cousin, cousin, cousin once removed, cousin twice removed, cub, daughter, egg, embryo, engraft, father, fellow, first cousin, fledgling, flourish, flower bud, foster brother, frater, gemma, gemmate, gemmula, gemmule, germ, germen, germinate, graft, grandnephew, grandniece, granduncle, great-aunt, great-uncle, grow, grow rank, half brother, hobbledehoy, imp, implant, inarch, juvenile, kid, kid brother, lad, laddie, leaf, leaf bud, leaf out, leave, loins, luxuriate, manchild, master, moppet, mother, muchacho, nephew, niece, nipper, nucleus, nuncle, nunks, nunky, overgrow, overrun, ovum, plumule, pullulate, pup, puppy, put forth, put forth leaves, put out buds, riot, root, rudiment, schoolboy, second cousin, seed, shoot, shoot up, sis, sissy, sister, sister-german, sistern, son, sonny, sonny boy, spark, spermatozoon, sprout, sprout up, stepbrother, stepsister, strike root, take root, unc, uncle, uncs, upspear, upsprout, uterine brother, vegetate, whelp, young man, youngling, youngster, youth
