pneumatophore
[ noo-mat-uh-fawr, -fohr, nyoo-, noo-muh-tuh-, nyoo- ]
/ nʊˈmæt əˌfɔr, -ˌfoʊr, nyʊ-, ˈnu mə tə-, ˈnyu- /
noun
Botany.
a specialized structure developed from the root in certain plants growing in swamps and marshes, serving as a respiratory organ.
Zoology.
the air sac of a siphonophore, serving as a float.
OTHER WORDS FROM pneumatophore
pneu·ma·toph·or·ous [noo-muh-tof-er-uh s, nyoo-] /ˌnu məˈtɒf ər əs, ˌnyu-/, adjectiveWords nearby pneumatophore
Example sentences from the Web for pneumatophore
British Dictionary definitions for pneumatophore
pneumatophore
/ (njuːˈmætəʊˌfɔː) /
noun
a specialized root of certain swamp plants, such as the mangrove, that branches upwards, rising above ground, and undergoes gaseous exchange with the atmosphere
a polyp in coelenterates of the order Siphonophora, such as the Portuguese man-of-war, that is specialized as a float
Scientific definitions for pneumatophore
pneumatophore
[ nōō-măt′ə-fôr′, nōō′mə-tə- ]
A specialized root that grows upwards out of the water or mud to reach the air and obtain oxygen for the root systems of trees that live in swampy or tidal habitats. The knees of mangroves and the bald cypress are pneumatophores. Also called air root