ELATER

Etymology 1

Noun

elater (plural elaters)

That which elates.

Etymology 2

Noun

elater (plural elaters)

(obsolete) Elasticity; especially the expansibility of a gas.

(botany) A long, slender cell produced among spores and having hygroscopic secondary cell wall thickenings.

(botany) Any of the long, slender hygroscopic appendages attached to the spores of horsetails (genus Equisetum).

(zoology) An elaterid, or click beetle.

Anagrams

• Aertel, Tralee, alreet, e-alert, earlet, relate, telera

Source: Wiktionary


E*lat"er, n.

Definition: One who, or that which, elates.

El"a*ter, n. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr.

1. (Bot.)

Definition: An elastic spiral filament for dispersing the spores, as in some liverworts.

2. (Zoöl.)

Definition: Any beetle of the family Elateridæ, having the habit, when laid on the back, of giving a sudden upward spring, by a quick movement of the articulation between the abdomen and thorax; -- called also click beetle, spring beetle, and snapping beetle.

3. (Zoöl.)

Definition: The caudal spring used by Podura and related insects for leaping. See Collembola.

El"a*ter, n. (Chem.)

Definition: The active principle of elaterium, being found in the juice of the wild or squirting cucumber (Ecballium agreste, formerly Motordica Elaterium) and other related species. It is extracted as a bitter, white, crystalline substance, which is a violent purgative.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



RESET




Word of the Day

4 May 2025

CRISP

(adjective) (of something seen or heard) clearly defined; “a sharp photographic image”; “the sharp crack of a twig”; “the crisp snap of dry leaves underfoot”


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Coffee Trivia

Contrary to popular belief, coffee beans are not technically beans. They are referred to as such because of their resemblance to legumes. A coffee bean is a seed of the Coffea plant and the source for coffee. It is the pit inside the red or purple fruit, often referred to as a cherry. Just like ordinary cherries, the coffee fruit is also a so-called stone fruit.

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