Link Centre Dictionary

lichen

lic·hen

UK/ˈlaɪ.kən/ US/ˈlɪtʃ.ən/ rare

noun

1.

any of several eruptive skin diseases characterized by hard thick lesions grouped together and resembling lichens growing on rocks

2.

any thallophytic plant of the division Lichenes; occur as crusty patches or bushy growths on tree trunks or rocks or bare ground etc.

Origin

Borrowed from Latin līchēn, from Ancient Greek λειχήν (leikhḗn), from λείχω (leíkhō, “to lick”). Originally used of liverwort; the modern sense first recorded 1715.

Phrases

  • antler lichen
  • ball lichen
  • beard lichen
  • blister lichen
  • borderline lichen
  • British soldiers lichen
  • byssoid lichen
  • cobblestone lichen

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WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.