What does cyme mean?
A cyme is a specific kind of flower cluster studied in botany, defined by the order in which its blossoms open. Unlike racemes, where flowering begins at the bottom of an elongated stalk and moves upward, a cyme's main axis is capped by a terminal flower that opens first; younger buds then emerge from side branches beneath it, giving many cymes a flattened or domed top. Familiar examples include the broad white clusters of elderberry, lilac, and some hydrangeas. The word derives from the Greek 'kyma', meaning wave or swell — a nod to the cluster's undulating outline. Because it belongs to technical botany, 'cyme' appears mainly in textbooks, herbaria, and identification guides rather than casual speech, but it is invaluable for precise description of plant structure, and distinguishing cymose inflorescences from their racemose counterparts is a standard exercise in plant taxonomy.
nounA type of flower cluster in which the main axis and successive side branches each end in a flower, so that blooming proceeds from the centre outward; characteristic of plants such as lilac, elderberry, and hydrangea.
- An inflorescence whose central axis terminates in a flower that opens first, with subsequent flowers arising from lateral branches below it.
"The elderberry's broad white cyme attracted swarms of pollinating insects."
"Botanists identified the plant by its dense, flat-topped cyme of small white florets."
"Each branching stem of the hydrangea bore a rounded cyme heavy with summer bloom."
The plural 'cymes' is standard in modern botanical writing; the Latin-style plural 'cymae' appears occasionally in older literature.
"The shrub produced dozens of creamy-white cymes along its arching branches."
In a cyme, the oldest flower sits right at the top of every branch — the plant blooms from its crown down to its edges, like fireworks frozen mid-burst.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of cyme
The word 'cyme' entered English in the late seventeenth century from Latin 'cyma', which itself borrowed the Greek 'kyma', meaning 'wave', 'swell', or figuratively 'young shoot'. The same Greek root gives English the architectural term 'cyma', a moulding with a wavy profile, as well as 'cymatium', its crowning element. In botanical usage the word was applied to this distinctive inflorescence pattern, whose clustered, billowing form recalled the shape of a wave.
Related word forms
How cyme is actually used
Strictly technical vocabulary used almost exclusively in botany, horticulture, and field guides; it would sound out of place in everyday conversation. Plural is usually 'cymes', though 'cymae' is occasionally seen in older texts.
Easily confused with cyme
A zyme is a fermenting agent or microorganism causing fermentation, whereas a cyme is an inflorescence — they share a similar spelling but nothing else.
A chime is the sound of a bell or a set of tuned bells, while a cyme is a botanical flower cluster.