a minute stalk bearing a spore or chain of spores in certain fungi
Word origin
C19: New Latin from Greek stērigma support, from stērizein to sustain
sterigma in American English
(stəˈrɪɡmə)
nounWord forms: plural-mata (-mətə)
Biology
a small stalk that bears a sporangium, a conidium, or esp. a basidiospore
Derived forms
sterigmatic (ˌsterɪɡˈmætɪk, ˌstɪər-)
adjective
Word origin
[1865–70; ‹ NL ‹ Gk ste᷄rigma a support, equiv. to stērig-, base of stērízein to support + -ma n. suffix]This word is first recorded in the period 1865–70. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: goulash, maverick, springboard, tick-tack-toe, valence