bract

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Latin bractea (a thin plate of metal; gold leaf).

Pronunciation

  • Audio (US):(file)

Noun

bract (plural bracts)

  1. (botany) A leaf or leaf-like structure from the axil out of which a stalk of a flower or an inflorescence arises.
    • 1789, Erasmus Darwin, The Loves of the Plants, J. Johnson, page 9:
      In this vegetable monster the bractes, or divisions of the spike, become wonderfully enlarged; and are converted into leaves.
    • 1793, Thomas Martyn, The Language of Botany:
      A Verticil or Whirl may be [] Naked; that is without involucre, bracte or brittle. Bracted - or Involucred
    • 2017, Benjamin Myers, The Gallows Pole, Bloomsbury, published 2019, page 31:
      Great dense patches of them grew, four and five and six feet deep, impenetrable swathes of dark green bracts that advertised their danger.

Derived terms

Translations

Welsh

Etymology

Borrowed from English bract.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /brakt/

Noun

bract m (plural bractau)

  1. (botany) bract
    Synonym: blodeulen

Mutation

Mutated forms of bract
radical soft nasal aspirate
bract fract mract unchanged

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Welsh.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

Further reading

  • Griffiths, Bruce; Glyn Jones, Dafydd (1995), “bract”, in Geiriadur yr Academi: The Welsh Academy English–Welsh Dictionary[1], Cardiff: University of Wales Press, →ISBN
  • D. G. Lewis, N. Lewis, editors (2005–present), “bract”, in Gweiadur: the Welsh–English Dictionary, Gwerin
  • R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke, et al., editors (1950–present), “bract”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies