corymb

[ kawr-imb, -im, kor- ]

nounBotany.
  1. a form of inflorescence in which the flowers form a flat-topped or convex cluster, the outermost flowers being the first to open.

Origin of corymb

1
1700–10; <Latin corymbus<Greek kórymbos head, top, cluster of fruit or flowers

Other words from corymb

  • corymbed, adjective
  • corymblike, adjective

Words Nearby corymb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use corymb in a sentence

  • The flowers are yellow, about three-quarters of an inch in diameter, and form a compact, terminal corymb.

    Field and Woodland Plants | William S. Furneaux
  • Their flower-heads are yellow, arranged in a corymb, and bloom during the whole of the summer.

    Field and Woodland Plants | William S. Furneaux
  • It grows from two to four feet high, and bears a corymb of many yellow heads, from July to September.

    Field and Woodland Plants | William S. Furneaux
  • The numerous flower-heads are arranged in a corymb, and are about half an inch in diameter, with white ray and yellow disc.

    Field and Woodland Plants | William S. Furneaux
  • The flower-heads are bright yellow, large, and arranged in a loose, terminal corymb.

    Field and Woodland Plants | William S. Furneaux

British Dictionary definitions for corymb

corymb

/ (ˈkɒrɪmb, -rɪm) /


noun
  1. an inflorescence in the form of a flat-topped flower cluster with the oldest flowers at the periphery. This type of raceme occurs in the candytuft

Origin of corymb

1
C18: from Latin corymbus, from Greek korumbos cluster

Derived forms of corymb

  • corymbed, adjective
  • corymbose or corymbous, adjective
  • corymbosely, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for corymb

corymb

[ kôrĭmb, -ĭm ]


  1. An indeterminate inflorescence whose outer flowers have longer stalks than the inner flowers, so that together they form a round cluster that is rather flat on top. The outer flowers open before the inner ones. Yarrow and the hawthorn have corymbs. See illustration at inflorescence.

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