meristem

UK: /ˈmɛrɪˌstɛm/ US: (mer′ə stem′)

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

mer•i•stem  (mer′ə stem′), n. [Bot.]

1. Botany embryonic tissue in plants;
   undifferentiated, growing, actively dividing cells.

• Greek -ēma termination of nouns denoting result of action; compare -eme
• Greek merist(ós) divided, distributed (equivalent. to *merid-, stem of merízein to divide into parts (derivative of méris part, share) + -tos verb, verbal adjective, adjectival suffix) + -em
• 1870–75

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

meristem / ˈmɛrɪˌstɛm/ noun

1. a plant tissue responsible for growth, whose cells divide and differentiate to form the tissues and organs of the plant. Meristems occur within the stem (see cambium) and leaves and at the tips of stems and roots

Etymology: 19th Century: from Greek meristos divided, from merizein to divide, from meris portion

meristematic / ˌmɛrɪstɪˈmætɪk/ adjective