Word
apical
Phoneticsapi·cal
US/ˈæpɪkəɫ/
UK/ˈæpɪkəl/
Definition
adj. relating to the tip or top of something, especially the top of a plant's stem or leaf. You use this to describe the part that is farthest from the base.
adj. relating to the apex or tip of an organ or structure. In botany, it specifically describes the region at the tip of a shoot or the top of a leaf.
Examples
“The apical meristem is responsible for the plant's growth.”
“The gardener noticed that the apical buds were growing faster than the side branches.”
“In many plants, the apical dominance ensures that the main stem grows upward while the lateral buds remain suppressed until the primary growth slows.”
Examples
simple
“The apical meristem is responsible for the plant's growth.”
contextual
“The gardener noticed that the apical buds were growing faster than the side branches.”
complex
“In many plants, the apical dominance ensures that the main stem grows upward while the lateral buds remain suppressed until the primary growth slows.”
Etymology
From apic- + -al.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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englishreference.com/q/apical