n.
Pronunciation: ' h ī -l ə m
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural hi · la \ -l ə \
Etymology: New Latin, from Latin, trifle
Date: circa 1753
1 : a scar on a seed (as a bean) marking the point of attachment of the ovule
2 : a notch in or opening from a bodily part suggesting the hilum of a bean