Meaning & use
Zygomorphic
Last updated
Describing a flower that can be divided into two mirror-image halves along only one plane, showing bilateral rather than radial symmetry.
See it in a sentence
Orchids and snapdragons have zygomorphic flowers, unlike the radially symmetrical flowers of a daisy.
Botanists use floral symmetry, including zygomorphic patterns, to help classify plant families.
A note on using this word
Zygomorphic comes from the Greek zygon ('yoke') and morphe ('form'), describing how the flower can be split like a yoke into matching halves.
Words with a similar meaning
bilaterally symmetrical
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
actinomorphicradially symmetrical
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