— arilloid , adj.
/ar"il/ , n. Bot.
a usually fleshy appendage or covering of certain seeds, as of the bittersweet, Celastrus scandens, or the nutmeg.
[ 1785-95; arillus; ML: grape seed, prob. erroneously for armillus, with same sense; cf. Upper It dial. armella, arma kernel, pit of a fruit, It animella edible insides of an animal anima lit., spirit (hence, the insides of a thing), with -illa dim. suffix; see ANIMA ]