cormel: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Very Low (Technical term)Specialised/Technical
Quick answer
What does “cormel” mean?
A small corm, especially one produced vegetatively from a parent corm.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A small corm, especially one produced vegetatively from a parent corm.
In botany, a small, bulblet-like structure that develops at the base of a mature corm and can be detached to propagate the plant asexually.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in usage, spelling, or meaning between British and American English.
Connotations
Purely technical and descriptive with no regional connotations.
Frequency
Extremely rare in general language; frequency is identical and negligible in both varieties outside technical texts.
Grammar
How to Use “cormel” in a Sentence
The [plant name] produces cormels.Cormels form at the base of the [main corm].Vocabulary
Collocations
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not used.
Academic
Used in botanical and horticultural research papers and textbooks.
Everyday
Virtually never used.
Technical
Primary context; used in plant propagation guides, taxonomy, and agricultural manuals for crops like gladiolus or crocus.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “cormel”
- Misspelling as 'cornel' (which is a type of tree).
- Using it as a general term for any small bulb.
- Incorrect pronunciation with stress on the second syllable.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, a cormel is an asexual propagule (a small clone of the parent plant), while a seed is the product of sexual reproduction.
Plants in the families Iridaceae (e.g., gladiolus, crocus) and Araceae (e.g., taro) often form cormels.
In some species, like taro (Colocasia esculenta), the cormels (or 'eddos') are edible and cultivated as food.
Example: 'The gardener carefully detached the cormels from the parent plant to increase her stock of rare freesias.'
A small corm, especially one produced vegetatively from a parent corm.
Cormel is usually specialised/technical in register.
Cormel: in British English it is pronounced /ˈkɔː.məl/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈkɔːr.məl/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “No idioms exist for this technical term.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: CORMEL = CORM (a bulb-like stem) + -EL (a small suffix). So, a 'little corm'.
Conceptual Metaphor
Not applicable; the term is a concrete, technical label without common metaphorical extensions.
Practice
Quiz
What is a cormel?