Dictionary

lenticel en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈlɛntɪsɛl/
• /ˈlɛntəsɛl/ weak vowel merger

Etymology

From New Latin lenticella, diminutive of Latin lēns (“lentil”); compare French lenticelle.

Meanings

1. One of the small, oval, rounded spots upon the stem or branch of a plant, from which the underlying tissues may protrude or roots may issue, either in the air, or more commonly when the stem or branch is covered with water or earth.
   • He raises his binocular telescope, bringing the birches near the shoreline into sharp relief, the eye-shaped lenticels in the pale bark seeming to stare back at him, as if following the train’s progress. 2024, Sarah Brooks, The Cautious Traveller’s Guide to the Wastelands, Wiedenfeld & Nicolson, page 89:
2. A small, lens-shaped gland on the underside of some leaves.

Forms

Deriveds

lenticellate