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Glite Dictionary
🌸 Orchid chin part 🐚 Mollusk chin part 🙂 The chin
mentum

mentum

9.9
A part that sticks out at the base of some orchid flowers like a small chin
  • noun
  • /ˈmɛn.təm/
  • Specialized
translation icon : mentón
  • The orchid's mentum gives the flower its unique chin-like appearance.

Examples

  • You can see the prominent mentum at the base of this flower's column.

  • Botanists use the shape of the mentum to help identify orchid species.

  • The mentum is important.

  • Look at the mentum!

  • The shape of the mentum helps botanists classify different types of orchids.

  • In this orchid, the mentum is clearly visible, resembling a tiny chin.

  • The characteristics of the mentum play a key role in identifying orchid species.

Surface Forms

mentum singular
menta plural

Etymology

Mentum comes from a Latin word meaning 'chin'. A helpful image is to think of the little 'chin' at the base of an orchid's column, so botanists call that chin-like part the mentum.