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gym·no·sperm

(jĭmnə-spûrm′)

A vascular plant, such as a cycad or conifer, whose seeds are not enclosed within an ovary.

[From New Latin Gymnospermae, former class name, from Greek gumnospermos : gumnos, naked; see nog^w- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots + sperma, seed; see SPERM¹.]

gym′no·spermous adj.

gymno·sper′my n.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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