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Glite Dictionary
acarpous

acarpous

9.9
A plant that does not produce fruit
  • adjective
  • /ˈeɪ.kɑːr.pəs/
  • Specialized
translation icon : acárpico
  • The acarpous plant failed to yield any fruit throughout the growing season.

Examples

  • Many cactus species are acarpous and only flower without producing any fruit.

  • Botanists examined the acarpous branches to determine the cause of their barrenness.

  • The acarpous plant struggled to survive in the dry climate.

  • Many gardeners avoid acarpous species for their gardens.

  • The acarpous plant failed to produce any fruit despite receiving plenty of sunlight.

  • Many cactus species are acarpous and bloom beautifully, yet do not bear fruit.

  • Botanists studied the acarpous branches to understand why the plant was not yielding any fruit.

Synonyms

unfruitful
vsacarpous
1 5.9

Not producing good results or crops

refers only to plants that do not produce fruit

Antonyms

fruitful
43 3.9

Producing good, useful results

How Fruitful

fruitful
43 3.9
acarpous
  • Specialized
9.9

Surface Forms

acarpous positive

Morphology

acarpous = carpous (semi-transparent) = a + carp + ous

The structure is regular (a- 'not' + carp + -ous), but 'carp'/'carpous' are technical botanical forms referring to fruit, so an average B1 learner may not recognize the base without subject knowledge.

Etymology

Acarpous comes from the Greek parts a- meaning 'not' and karpos meaning 'fruit', and the same root appears in carpel, a plant part, so acarpous literally means 'without fruit' and is used for plants or branches that do not produce fruit.