noun, plural hi·la [hahy-luh] /ˈhaɪ lə/.
- Botany.
- the mark or scar on a seed produced by separation from its funicle or placenta.
- the nucleus of a granule of starch.
- Mycology. a mark or scar on a spore at the point of attachment to the spore-bearing structure.
- Anatomy. the region at which the vessels, nerves, etc., enter or emerge from a part.
noun plural -la (-lə)
- botany
- a scar on the surface of a seed marking its point of attachment to the seed stalk (funicle)
- the nucleus of a starch grain
- a deep fissure or depression on the surface of a bodily organ around the point of entrance or exit of vessels, nerves, or ducts
Latin, literally “little thing, shred, trifle.” Related: Hilar.
n. pl. hi•la (-lə)
- A depression or slit-like opening through which nerves, ducts, or blood vessels enter and leave in an organ or a gland.porta
Plural hila
- A mark or scar on a seed, such as a bean, showing where it was formerly attached to the plant. The hilum indicates the point of attachment of the funiculus.
- A depression or opening through which nerves, ducts, or blood vessels pass in an organ or a gland, as in the medial aspect of the lungs or the kidneys .