xenia

¹

[ zee-nee-uh, zeen-yuh ]

noun

, Botany.

1. the influence or effect of pollen on a structure other than the embryo, as the seed or fruit.

Xenia

²

[ zee-nee-uh, zeen-yuh ]

noun

1. a city in W Ohio.
2. a female given name.

xenia

/ ˈziːnɪə /

noun

1. botany the influence of pollen upon the form of the fruit developing after pollination

Derived Forms

• ˈxenial, adjective

Other Words From

• xe·ni·al adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of xenia¹

First recorded in 1895–1900; from New Latin from Greek xenía “hospitality”; xen-, -ia

Word History and Origins

Origin of xenia¹

C19: from New Latin, from Greek: hospitality, from xenos guest

Example Sentences

Though it falls into a fairly common category of images of food called “xenia” — offerings for guests — it is not like most of the roughly 300 examples that have been found in Vesuvian cities.

From New York Times