| 释义 |
germen|ˈdʒɜːmɛn|
Also 7 germaine, 7–9 germin.
[a. L. germen (pl. germina): see germ n.]
1. The rudiment of an organism, a germ. Now only fig. (Cf. germ n.)
1605Shakes. Lear iii. ii. 8 And thou all-shaking Thunder, Strike flat the thicke Rotundity o' th' world, Cracke Natures moulds, all germaines spill at once That makes ingratefull Man. ― Macb. iv. i. 59. a 1691 Boyle Chr. Virtuoso ii. Wks. 1772 VI. 794 The cicatricula of an egg, or the germen in the seed of a plant, being, in reality, a model of the animal, or plant, to be produced from it. 1807Vancouver Agric. Devon (1813) 123 Although that may cleanse the body of the grain, it will not carry off the down from its end, and which is reasonably supposed to contain the germin of smut. 1814Cary Dante, Purg. xvii. 100 Love is germin [orig. sementa] of each virtue in ye. 1824Galt Rothelan II. v. vi. 294 Many thought and feared some new evil was confusing the germins of nature.
†2. A shoot or sprout, a young branch or sucker.
1628Coke On Litt. 53 a, If tenant cut down timber trees..or suffer the young germins to be destroyed. 1669Worlidge Syst. Agric. (1681) 326 Germins, young shoots of Trees. 1671Grew Anat. Plants i. iv. §1 The Parts of the Germen and Branch, are the same with those of the Trunk. 1714Scroggs Courts-leet (ed. 3) 208 If..he destroys the young Germins, or stub up the same by the Roots. 1725Bradley Fam. Dict. s.v. Palm, The Palm-Tree has a tender Germen, from whence other small Shoots proceed by Intervals. 1786W. Gilpin Mount. & Lakes I. 227 Fruitful nature, making..unremitting efforts to vegetate, could not here produce a single germin.
3. Bot. The rudiment of a seed-vessel, an ovary.
1759B. Stillingfl. Wks. (1762) Introd. 30 Upon opening the flower leaves there will appear in the very center, at the bottom an oblong thickish substance..This contains the seed, and is called the germen or germ. 1776–96Withering Brit. Plants (ed. 3) I. 3 The Seed-vessel. In the newly-opened flower, this part was called the Germen; but when it enlarges, and approaches to maturity, it is called the Seed-vessel. 1807J. E. Smith Phys. Bot. 274 The Germen appears under a variety of shapes and sizes. It is of great moment..to observe whether it be superior, that is, above the bases of the calyx and corolla..or inferior, below them. 1854S. Thomson Wild Fl. iii. (ed. 4) 179 The bodies..are considered abortive germens, or seed-vessels. 1877Darwin Forms of Fl. iii. 83 The germens of these 12 flowers all swelled, and ultimately six fine capsules and two poor capsules were produced. |