spathe
noun/speɪð/
Etymology From Latin spatha, from Ancient Greek σπάθη (spáthē, “blade”). Doublet of epee, spatha, and spade.
1
Biology, Botany, Natural sciences A large bract that envelops or subtends a whole inflorescence, typically a spadix.
- All the joints and angles are coffered with strips of split rattan sewn neatly on. The lid is covered with the brown leathery spathe of the Areca palm, which is impervious to water, and the whole box is neat, strong, and well finished.1869, Alfred Russel Wallace, The Malay Archipelago, volume II, London: Macmillan and Co., page 257:
- Derived terms
- spathaceous, spathal, spathate, spathed
- Related terms
- spadix