Androkinin

/ˌændrəˈkaɪnɪn/ noun

Definition

A chemical compound or plant hormone that promotes male characteristics or male flower development in plants.

Etymology

From Greek andros (man) + kinin (a plant hormone that stimulates cell division). Modern botanical terminology combining classical Greek roots with 20th-century biochemistry.

Kelly Says

Plants secretly wage a chemical war with their own hormones—some flowers manipulate their own biology to be male or female depending on conditions, and androkinin is one of the weapons they use to decide their sex!

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.