alate
Definition
- Adjective:
- Having winglike extensions: Used to describe seeds, fruits, or insects that possess thin, flat, wing-like structures that aid in dispersal or flight.
Examples of Usage
- Adjective:
- The maple tree produces alate seeds that spin as they fall.
- An alate insect, like a termite swarmer, has wings for its dispersal flight.
Advanced Usage
- Botanical Context: In botany, "alate" specifically describes seeds or fruits with wing-like appendages (samaras) that enable wind dispersal.
- The ash tree is known for its clusters of alate fruits.
- Entomological Context: In entomology, "alate" describes the winged, reproductive form of social insects like ants or termites.
- After the rain, alate ants emerged from the colony to mate and establish new nests.
Variants and Related Words
- Alated (adjective): A less common variant with the same meaning.
- The alated seeds were carried far by the wind.
- Winged (adjective): A more general synonym.
- Dealate (adjective): The state of having shed wings, often used for insects after their mating flight.
- The dealate queen termite burrowed into the soil to start a new colony.
Synonyms
- Winged: Having wings or wing-like parts.
- Volant: (Technical) Flying or capable of flight.
Related Terms (Not Phrasal Verbs)
- Samara: A type of dry fruit with an alate structure.
- Dispersal: The movement of seeds or spores away from the parent plant, often aided by alate structures.
Adjective
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(of seeds or insects) having winglike extensions
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alate leaves
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alate seeds of a maple tree
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