Meaning & use
adnate
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Meanings
adjectivecomparablebiologytechnical
In botany, joined to another part of the plant along its whole length or surface, as when stipules are fused to a leaf stalk.
Grammar: Describes a plant part; it is usually used without more or most.
Patterns
- adnate to something
- adnate stipules
The stipules in this rose are adnate to the petiole.
In some mushrooms the gills are adnate, attached broadly to the stem.
The flower's stamens are adnate to the petals.
adjectivebefore a nounbiologyspecialist
In mycology, describing gills that attach to the stem with their whole width rather than being free or notched.
Grammar: Often used before a noun like gills: adnate gills.
Patterns
- adnate gills
- an adnate attachment
Identify the mushroom by its adnate gills, which meet the stalk squarely.
Field guides separate species with adnate gills from those with free gills.
Common combinations
- adnate to the stem
- The gills are adnate to the stem in this species.
- adnate stipules
- Adnate stipules are fused to the leaf stalk.
- adnate gills
- Mushrooms with adnate gills are often tough.
- adnate anthers
- Adnate anthers are attached along the whole filament.
- adnate to the ovary
- The calyx tube is adnate to the ovary.
Synonyms and how they differ
- fused
- Fused is a general word for anything joined together, while adnate names a specific botanical attachment along the whole side.
- attached
- Attached is vague and can mean tied loosely, whereas adnate means firmly joined over a wide area.
- adherent
- Adherent means sticking to something, often in a general sense, while adnate is the formal plant term.
- connate
- Connate describes similar parts joined with each other, whereas adnate describes unlike parts joined together.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: adnate or adnexa? adnate or adnoun?
adnate vs adnexa
Adnexa are accessory structures in anatomy, unrelated to the botanical term adnate.
adnate vs adnoun
An adnoun is an old grammar word for an adjective used as a noun, and is a different word from adnate.
Practice
A botanist says the stamens are adnate to the petals. What does that mean?
Choose one answer.
Adnate means joined to another part along its length. Free would be used for separate parts, and the other options describe position or size instead.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “adnate”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.