serotine

UK: /ˈsɛrəˌtaɪn/ US: (ser′ə tin, -tīn′)

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

ser•o•tine¹  (ser′ə tin, -tīn′), adj. 

1. Developmental Biology late in occurring, developing, or flowering.

Also, se•rot•i•nous  (si rot′n əs, ser′ə tī′nəs). 

• Latin sērōtinus, equivalent. to sērō (adverb, adverbial) late + -tinus adjective, adjectival suffix of time; compare serein
• 1590–1600

ser•o•tine²  (ser′ə tin, -tīn′), n. 

1. Mammals a small Eurasian brown bat, Eptesicus serotinus.

• Latin sērōtina, feminine of sērōtinus serotine¹
• French sérotine
• 1765–75

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

serotine / ˈsɛrəˌtaɪn/ adjective

1. Also: serotinal / sɪˈrɒtɪn^əl/, serotinous produced, flowering, or developing late in the season

noun

1. either of two insectivorous bats, Eptesicus serotinus or Vespertilio serotinus: family Vespertilionidae

Etymology: 16th Century: from Latin sērōtinus late, from sērus late; applied to the bats because they fly late in the evening