Cranebill

/ˈkreɪnbɪl/ noun

Definition

A plant with seeds in a pod shaped like a crane's bill, or the pelargonium flower commonly called geranium.

Etymology

From Old English 'crane' (the bird) and 'bill' (beak), named descriptively after the shape of its seed pod. The resemblance to a crane's long bill is so obvious that multiple languages used this same metaphor.

Kelly Says

The crane's bill shape actually helps the plant scatter seeds—when dry, the pod twists and flings seeds away from the plant, using geometry as a catapult. Humans noticed this mechanism thousands of years ago and named the whole plant after it!

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