Definition of Fern
1. Noun. Any of numerous flowerless and seedless vascular plants having true roots from a rhizome and fronds that uncurl upward; reproduce by spores.
Specialized synonyms: Pecopteris,
Film Fern,
Filmy Fern,
Bristle Fern,
Filmy Fern,
Flowering Fern,
Osmund,
Crape Fern,
Leptopteris Superba,
Prince-of-wales Feather,
Prince-of-wales Fern,
Prince-of-wales Plume,
Todea Superba,
Crepe Fern,
King Fern,
Todea Barbara,
Curly Grass,
Curly Grass Fern,
Schizaea Pusilla,
Anemia Adiantifolia,
Pine Fern,
Climbing Fern,
Mohria Caffrorum,
Scented Fern,
Aquatic Fern,
Water Fern,
Adder's Tongue,
Adder's Tongue Fern,
Grape Fern,
Flowering Fern,
Helminthostachys Zeylanica,
Diplopterygium Longissimum,
Giant Scrambling Fern,
Fan Fern,
Gleichenia Flabellata,
Sticherus Flabellatus,
Umbrella Fern,
Polypody,
Aglaomorpha Meyeniana,
Bear's-paw Fern,
Strap Fern,
Basket Fern,
Drynaria Rigidula,
Lecanopteris,
Microgramma-piloselloides,
Snake Polypody,
Climbing Bird's Nest Fern,
Microsorium Punctatum,
Golden Polypody,
Phlebodium Aureum,
Polypodium Aureum,
Rabbit's-foot Fern,
Serpent Fern,
Staghorn Fern,
Cyclophorus Lingua,
Felt Fern,
Pyrrosia Lingua,
Tongue Fern,
Potato Fern,
Solanopteris Bifrons,
Grass Fern,
Ribbon Fern,
Vittaria Lineata,
Spleenwort,
Asplenium Nidus,
Bird's Nest Fern,
Asplenium Scolopendrium,
Hart's-tongue,
Hart's-tongue Fern,
Phyllitis Scolopendrium,
Asplenium Ceterach,
Ceterach Officinarum,
Scale Fern,
Scaly Fern,
Asplenium Nigripes,
Schaffneria Nigripes,
Scolopendrium Nigripes,
Scolopendrium,
Hard Fern,
Doodia,
Rasp Fern,
Chain Fern,
Tree Fern,
Davallia,
Boulder Fern,
Dennstaedtia Punctilobula,
Hay-scented,
Hay-scented Fern,
Scented Fern,
Bracken,
Brake,
Pasture Brake,
Pteridium Aquilinum,
Bracken,
Pteridium Esculentum,
Culcita Dubia,
False Bracken,
Buckler Fern,
Shield Fern,
Wood Fern,
Wood-fern,
Woodfern,
Athyrium Filix-femina,
Lady Fern,
Athyrium Pycnocarpon,
Diplazium Pycnocarpon,
Glade Fern,
Narrow-leaved Spleenwort,
Silvery Spleenwort,
Cyrtomium Aculeatum,
Holly Fern,
Polystichum Aculeatum,
Bladder Fern,
Athyrium Thelypteroides,
Deparia Acrostichoides,
Silvery Spleenwort,
Gymnocarpium Dryopteris,
Oak Fern,
Thelypteris Dryopteris,
Gymnocarpium Robertianum,
Limestone Fern,
Northern Oak Fern,
Fiddlehead,
Matteuccia Struthiopteris,
Onoclea Struthiopteris,
Ostrich Fern,
Pteretis Struthiopteris,
Shuttlecock Fern,
Hart's-tongue,
Hart's-tongue Fern,
Olfersia Cervina,
Polybotria Cervina,
Polybotrya Cervina,
Bead Fern,
Onoclea Sensibilis,
Sensitive Fern,
Canker Brake,
Christmas Fern,
Dagger Fern,
Evergreen Wood Fern,
Polystichum Acrostichoides,
Holly Fern,
Leather Fern,
Leatherleaf Fern,
Polystichum Adiantiformis,
Rumohra Adiantiformis,
Ten-day Fern,
Button Fern,
Tectaria Cicutaria,
Indian Button Fern,
Tectaria Macrodonta,
Woodsia,
Oleander Fern,
Oleandra Mollis,
Oleandra Neriiformis,
Sword Fern,
Acrostichum Aureum,
Golden Fern,
Leather Fern,
Maidenhair,
Maidenhair Fern,
Annual Fern,
Anogramma Leptophylla,
Jersey Fern,
Lip Fern,
Lipfern,
Cheilanthes Gracillima,
Lace Fern,
Bamboo Fern,
Coniogramme Japonica,
Rock Brake,
Doryopteris Pedata,
Hand Fern,
Cliff Brake,
Cliff-brake,
Rock Brake,
Button Fern,
Pellaea Rotundifolia,
Pityrogramma Argentea,
Silver Fern,
Pityrogramma Calomelanos,
Silver Fern,
Golden Fern,
Pityrogramma Calomelanos Aureoflava,
Gold Fern,
Pityrogramma Chrysophylla,
Brake,
Pteris Cretica,
Pteris Multifida,
Spider Brake,
Spider Fern,
Pteris Serrulata,
Ribbon Fern,
Spider Fern,
Marattia Salicina,
Potato Fern,
Dryopteris Thelypteris,
Marsh Fern,
Thelypteris Palustris,
Christella,
Dryopteris Oreopteris,
Mountain Fern,
Oreopteris Limbosperma,
Dryopteris Noveboracensis,
New York Fern,
Parathelypteris Novae-boracensis,
Massachusetts Fern,
Parathelypteris Simulata,
Thelypteris Simulata,
Beech FernGeneric synonyms: Nonflowering Plant,
PteridophyteTerms within: Fern SeedGroup relationships: Class Filicinae,
Class Filicopsida,
Filicinae,
FilicopsidaDerivative terms: Ferny,
Ferny Definition of Fern
1. adv. Long ago.
2. a. Ancient; old. [Obs.] "Pilgrimages to . . . ferne halwes." [saints].
3. n. An order of cryptogamous plants, the Filices, which have their fructification on the back of the fronds or leaves. They are usually found in humid soil, sometimes grow epiphytically on trees, and in tropical climates often attain a gigantic size.
Definition of Fern
1. Proper noun. (given name female from=English) from the fern plant. ¹
2. Noun. Any of a group of some twenty thousand species of vascular plants classified in the Division ''Pteridophyta'' (formerly known by some as ''Filicophyta'') that lacks seeds and reproduces by shedding spores to initiate an alternation of generations. ¹
¹ Source: wiktionary.com
Definition of Fern
1. a flowerless vascular plant [n -S] : FERNLESS, FERNLIKE [adj]
Medical Definition of Fern
1.
An order of cryptogamous plants, the Filices, which have their fructification on the back of the fronds or leaves. They are usually found in humid soil, sometimes grow epiphytically on trees, and in tropical climates often attain a gigantic size.
The plants are asexual, and bear clustered sporangia, containing minute spores, which germinate and form prothalli, on which are borne the true organs of reproduction. The brake or bracken, the maidenhair, and the polypody are all well known ferns. Christmas fern. See Christmas.
Climbing fern The European goatsucker. The short-eared owl. Fern shaw, a fern thicket.
Origin: AS. Fearn; akin to D. Varen, G. Farn, farnkraut; cf. Skr. Parna wing, feather, leaf, sort of plant, or Lith. Papartis fern.
Source: Websters Dictionary
(01 Mar 1998)
Lexicographical Neighbors of Fern
Other Resources:
Arabic