teosinte Hear it!

teosinte definition

teo·sinte (tē′ō sin′tē)

noun

a tall, cornlike fodder grass (Zea mexicana) native to Mexico and Central America, having a tassel and small, hard ears: presumed to be the wild ancestor of maize

Etymology: AmSp < Nahuatl teo∶sinλi, teo∶senλi, lit., divine maize < teo∶λ, god + sinλi, senλi, maize

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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