thallus

[ thal-uh s ]
/ ˈθæl əs /

noun, plural thal·li [thal-ahy] /ˈθæl aɪ/, thal·lus·es. Botany, Mycology.

a simple vegetative body undifferentiated into true leaves, stem, and root, ranging from an aggregation of filaments to a complex plantlike form.

Origin of thallus

1820–30; < New Latin < Greek thallós young shoot, twig

Example sentences from the Web for thalli

British Dictionary definitions for thalli

thallus
/ (ˈθæləs) /

noun plural thalli (ˈθælaɪ) or thalluses

the undifferentiated vegetative body of algae, fungi, and lichens

Derived forms of thallus

thalloid, adjective

Word Origin for thallus

C19: from Latin, from Greek thallos green shoot, from thallein to bloom

Medical definitions for thalli

thallus
[ thăləs ]

n. pl. thal•lus•es

A plant body or fungus undifferentiated into stem, root, or leaf.

Scientific definitions for thalli

thallus
[ thăləs ]

Plural thalli (thălī)

A type of body found among plants and fungi that is not differentiated into roots, stems, or leaves. Thalli are found among lichens, mosses, liverworts, and many algae, as well as the gametophyte generations of horsetails and ferns, which have rhizoids but not true roots.