monoecious

adjective

mon·​oe·​cious mə-ˈnē-shəs How to pronounce monoecious (audio)
mä-
variants or less commonly monecious
1
: having pistillate and staminate flowers on the same plant
2
: having male and female sex organs in the same individual : hermaphroditic

Examples of monoecious in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Most plant species are monoecious, meaning a single plant has both male and female parts. Susan Brownstein, cleveland, 12 July 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'monoecious.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

ultimately from Greek mon- + oikos house — more at vicinity

First Known Use

1761, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of monoecious was in 1761

Dictionary Entries Near monoecious

Cite this Entry

“Monoecious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/monoecious. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

monoecious

adjective
mon·​oe·​cious mə-ˈnē-shəs How to pronounce monoecious (audio)
(ˈ)mä-
: having on the same plant flowers with stamens only and flowers with pistils only

Medical Definition

monoecious

adjective
mo·​noe·​cious
variants also monecious
: having male and female sex organs in the same individual
monoeciously adverb
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