n. A fleshy, usually brightly colored cover of a seed, usually arising from the funiculus. [Medieval Latin arillus, grape seed, from a Romance source akin to Italian arillo, seed coat, from Vulgar Latin *arēnula, grain of sand, from diminutive of Latin arēna, sand; see ARENA.] ariled adj. aril·late′ (-lāt′, -lĭt) adj. ![]() (click for a larger image) arilEnglish yew Taxus baccata |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.