Dictionary    Maps    Thesaurus    Translate    Advanced >   


Tip: Click Thesaurus above for synonyms. Also, follow synonym links within the dictionary to find definitions from other sources.

1. WordNet® 3.0 (2006)
Lichenes
    n 1: comprising the lichens which grow symbiotically with algae;
         sometimes treated as an independent group more or less
         coordinate with algae and fungi [syn: Lichenes, division
         Lichenes]

2. The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Lichen \Li"chen\ (l[imac]"k[e^]n; 277), n. [L., fr. Gr.
   leichh`n.]
   1. (Bot.) One of a class of cellular, flowerless plants,
      (technically called Lichenes), having no distinction of
      leaf and stem, usually of scaly, expanded, frond-like
      forms, but sometimes erect or pendulous and variously
      branched. They derive their nourishment from the air, and
      generate by means of spores. The species are very widely
      distributed, and form irregular spots or patches, usually
      of a greenish or yellowish color, upon rocks, trees, and
      various bodies, to which they adhere with great tenacity.
      They are often improperly called rock moss or tree
      moss.
      [1913 Webster]

   Note: A favorite modern theory of lichens (called after its
         inventor the Schwendener hypothesis), is that they are
         not autonomous plants, but that they consist of
         ascigerous fungi, parasitic on alg[ae]. Each lichen is
         composed of white filaments and green, or greenish,
         rounded cells, and it is argued that the two are of
         different nature, the one living at the expense of the
         other. See Hyph[ae], and Gonidia.
         [1913 Webster]

   2. (Med.) A name given to several varieties of skin disease,
      esp. to one characterized by the eruption of small,
      conical or flat, reddish pimples, which, if unchecked,
      tend to spread and produce great and even fatal
      exhaustion.
      [1913 Webster]

Common Misspellings >
Most Popular Searches: Define Misanthrope, Define Pulchritudinous, Define Happy, Define Veracity, Define Cornucopia, Define Almuerzo, Define Atresic, Define URL, Definitions Of Words, Definition Of Get Up, Definition Of Quid Pro Quo, Definition Of Irreconcilable Differences, Definition Of Word, Synonyms of Repetitive, Synonym Dictionary, Synonym Antonyms. See our main index and map index for more details.

©2011-2024 ZebraWords.com - Define Yourself - The Search for Meanings and Meaning Means I Mean. All content subject to terms and conditions as set out here. Contact Us, peruse our Privacy Policy