anther
UK[ˈænθə(r)]US[ˈænθər]
n
The part of a flower's stamen that contains the pollen.
Morpheme Breakdown
anth
er
anth
flower
er
thing connected with
Etymology
The word 'anther' is a modern botanical term derived from the French anthère, which itself originates from the Latin anthera, meaning "a medicine extracted from flowers". This Latin term was borrowed from the Ancient Greek ἀνθηρός (anthērós), meaning "flowery" or "blooming", an adjective formed from ἄνθος (ánthos), the fundamental Greek word for "flower". The semantic journey thus moved from the general concept of "flower" to a specific adjective describing something as "flowery", and finally, through scientific Latin, was narrowed to designate the pollen-bearing, flower-like part of the stamen. The modern English suffix '-er' functions to solidify it as a noun for the specific botanical structure.
Analysis
Structure: anth (flower) + er (thing connected with)
- anth: From Greek anthos, meaning "flower".
- er: An English suffix forming nouns, often denoting an agent or instrument.
Examples
The anther is typically borne on a slender stalk called a filament.
Bees collect pollen from the ripe anthers of flowers.
In some plants, the anther releases pollen through tiny pores or slits.