ˈstāmə̇n noun
( plural stamens -nz ; also stami·na ˈstāmənə, ˈstam-)
Etymology: Latin, warp, thread, thread spun by the fates at one's birth to determine the length of his life, stamen; akin to Greek stēmōn warp, thread, Old Irish sessam act of standing, Sanskrit sthāman station, Greek histanai to cause to stand; basic meaning: standing upright — more at stand
1. obsolete : a vital principle or force formerly regarded as the determining factor in longevity
2. : a microsporophyll of a seed plant : the organ of the flower that gives rise to the male gamete, consists of an anther and a filament, is morphologically a spore-bearing leaf though sometimes exhibiting transition to a petal (as in a double flower), occurs usually in fixed numbers in a given group, and thereby affords an important diagnostic character — see androecium ; compare pistil ; see flower illustration