noun
primitive tropical gymnosperms abundant in the Mesozoic, now reduced to a few scattered tropical forms
• Syn: ↑order Cycadales
• Hypernyms: ↑plant order
• Member Holonyms: ↑Cycadopsida, ↑class Cycadopsida, ↑Cycadophytina, ↑subdivision Cycadophytina, ↑Cycadophyta, ↑subdivision Cycadophyta
• Member Meronyms: ↑Cycadaceae, ↑family Cycadaceae, ↑cycad family, ↑Zamiaceae, ↑family Zamiaceae, ↑zamia family
* * *
\\ˌ ̷ ̷ ̷ ̷ˈdā(ˌ)lēz\ noun pluralUsage: capitalized
: an order of gymnospermous plants abundant in the Mesozoic but now reduced to a few localized and widely scattered tropical forms that have an unbranched trunk which is tall and arborescent or squat and tuberous with a large pith and starchy cortex and that bears a terminal crown of long pinnate leaves together with one or more very large cones — see cycadaceae
Useful english dictionary. 2012.