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
Words nearby thallus
thallium sulfate,
thallo-,
thalloid,
thallophyte,
thallous,
thallus,
thalweg,
thamar,
thames,
thames river,
thamin
Example sentences from the Web for thallus
British Dictionary definitions for thallus
thallus
/ (ˈθæləs) /
noun plural thalli (ˈθælaɪ) or thalluses
the undifferentiated vegetative body of algae, fungi, and lichens
Derived forms of thallus
thalloid, adjectiveWord Origin for thallus
C19: from Latin, from Greek
thallos green shoot, from
thallein to bloom
Medical definitions for thallus
thallus
[ thăl′əs ]
n. pl. thal•lus•es
A plant body or fungus undifferentiated into stem, root, or leaf.
Scientific definitions for thallus
thallus
[ thăl′əs ]
Plural thalli (thăl′ī)
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.