cycad
cycad Lexical Profile
cycad Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A palmlike, cone-bearing gymnosperm plant of the order Cycadales, found primarily in tropical and subtropical regions, characterized by a stout woody trunk and a crown of large, stiff, evergreen leaves.
"Many botanic gardens feature a prehistoric garden section where the ancient cycad flourishes alongside giant ferns."
Word Nuance & Usage
Though they closely resemble palms or large ferns visually (and are often misleadingly named, such as the sago palm), cycads are actually gymnosperms that produce seeds in cones, making them more closely related to pines.
• Rhymes for cycad
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived from the Modern Latin botanical family name 'Cycadeae', stemming from Latin 'cycas', which originated as a typographical error in early Greek texts for 'koïkas', the plural of 'koïx' (a kind of Egyptian palm).
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.