moonseed

English - English

Definition of moonseed in English English dictionary

A twining plant of the genus Menispermum, eponymous of the Menispermae or moonseed family

The crescent-shaped (hence their name) moonseeds bear black fruits.

{n} a species of plant

{i} any of several types of flowering vines bearing red or black fruit

plant of the family Menispermaceae having red or black fruit with crescent- or ring-shaped seeds

A climbing plant of the genus Menispermum; so called from the crescentlike form of the seeds

Related Terms

carolina moonseed

woody vine of southeastern United States resembling the common moonseed but having red fruits

common moonseed

a woody vine of eastern North America having large oval leaves and small white flowers and purple to blue-black fruits

Hyphenation

moon·seed

Etymology

[ -"sEd ] (noun.) 1739. Germanic: moon + seed; parallel to the cognate, yet non-synonymous Dutch maanzaad