any flowering plant of the class Monocotyledonae, having a single embryonic seed leaf, leaves with parallel veins, and flowers with parts in threes: includes grasses, lilies, palms, and orchids
Often shortened to: monocot. Compare dicotyledon
Derived forms
monocotyledonous (ˌmonoˌcotyˈledonous)
adjective
monocotyledon in American English
(ˌmɑnoʊˌkɑtəˈlidən; ˌ mɑnəˌkɑtəˈlidən)
noun
Botany
any of a class (Liliopsida) of angiosperms, including lilies, orchids, and grasses, having an embryo containing only one cotyledon, and characterized by parallel-veined leaves, flower parts in multiples of three, and no secondary growth in stems and roots