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hilum

Pronunciation: /ˈhʌɪləm/

Definition of hilum

noun (plural hila /-lə/)

Botany

the scar on a seed marking the point of attachment to its seed vessel.
a point in a starch granule around which the layers of starch are deposited.
Anatomyanother term for hilus.

Origin:

mid 17th century (in the Latin sense): from Latin, literally 'little thing, trifle', once thought to mean 'that which sticks to a bean', hence the current sense (mid 18th century)