apophysis

Definition of Apophysis in English :

1. apophysis

(botany) a natural swelling or enlargement: at the base of the stalk or seta in certain mosses or on the cone scale of certain conifers

2. apophysis

(anatomy) a natural outgrowth or projection on an organ or body part such as the process of a vertebra

WordNet Lexical Database for English. Princeton University. 2010.

Apophysis

noun plural -ses (-ˌsiːz)

1.

a process, outgrowth, or swelling from part of an animal or plant

2. geology

a tapering offshoot from a larger igneous intrusive mass

nounWord forms: plural aˈpophyˌses (əˈpɑfəˌsiz ; əpäfˈəsēzˌ)

1. Anatomy

any natural outgrowth or process, esp. on a vertebra or other bone

2. Botany

a swelling at the base of the capsule in some mosses

n. pl. a·poph·y·ses (-sēz′)

1. Anatomy A natural swelling, projection, or outgrowth of an organ or part, such as the process of a vertebra.

2. Geology A branch from a dike or vein.