cyme noun. [sʌɪm] In sense 1 also cime. E18.
[French cyme, cime summit, top from popular form of Latin CYMA.]
1. The unopened head of a plant. rare. Only in E18.

2. Botany. An inflorescence (freq. forming a more or less flat head) in which the primary axis bears a single flower which develops first, flowers of secondary and higher order axes developing successively later. Cf. RACEME. L18.

■ cymose adjective of the nature of a cyme; bearing or arranged in cymes: E19.

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