fern

¹

[ furn ]

noun

1. any seedless, nonflowering vascular plant of the class Filicinae, of tropical to temperate regions, characterized by true roots produced from a rhizome, triangular fronds that uncoil upward and have a branching vein system, and reproduction by spores contained in sporangia that appear as brown dots on the underside of the fronds.

Fern

²

[ furn ]

noun

1. a female given name.

fern

/ fɜːn /

noun

1. any tracheophyte plant of the phylum Filicinophyta , having roots, stems, and fronds and reproducing by spores formed in structures (sori) on the fronds See also tree fern
2. any of certain similar but unrelated plants, such as the sweet fern

fern

/ fûrn /

1. Any of numerous seedless vascular plants belonging to the phylum Pterophyta that reproduce by means of spores and usually have feathery fronds divided into many leaflets. Most species of ferns are homosporous (producing only one kind of spore). The haploid spore grows into a small, usually flat gametophyte known as a prothallus , which is undifferentiated into roots, stems, and leaves. The green prothallus anchors itself with hairlike extensions known as rhizoids and bears both archegonia (organs producing female gametes) and antheridia (organs producing male gametes). The male gametes require the presence of water to swim to the female gametes and fertilize the eggs. Normally only one embryo is produced, and it then grows out of the gametophyte plant as a diploid sporophyte plant that has roots, stems, and leaves and conducts photosynthesis, while the smaller gametophyte withers away. The leaves of these sporophytes eventually produce sporangia (in some species occurring in clusters known as sori ). Under dry conditions, the sori burst releasing hundreds of thousands or millions of spores. Ferns were abundant in the Carboniferous period and exist today in about 11,000 species, about three-quarters of which live in tropical climates.

Derived Forms

• ˈfernˌlike, adjective
• ˈferny, adjective

Other Words From

• fernless adjective
• fernlike adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of fern¹

before 900; Middle English ferne, Old English fearn; cognate with German Farn fern, Sanskrit parná feather

Word History and Origins

Origin of fern¹

Old English fearn ; related to Old High German farn , Sanskrit parná leaf

Example Sentences

The creature lifts its head, nearly dainty in scale, and contentedly gnaws a mouthful of ferns.

From Los Angeles Times

Recently, we met at the Radical Hood Library, where ferns hang from the ceiling and posters on the wall celebrate Black love.

From Los Angeles Times

The two creeks flow through rocky canyons shaded by pines and Douglas firs, where ferns grow along the banks.

From Los Angeles Times

“If it’s not the biggest, it’s jolly well close to it,” Leitch said of the fork fern’s genome.

From Los Angeles Times

A fern from a Pacific island carries 50 times as much DNA as humans do.

From New York Times

Related Words

• scrub
• thicket