A vine (from Latin vīnea 'grapevine, vineyard'; from vīnum 'wine') is any plant with a growth habit of trailing or scandent (that is, climbing) stems, lianas, or runners. The word vine can also refer to such stems or runners themselves, for instance, when used in wicker work.[1][2]
In parts of the world, including the British Isles, the term "vine" usually applies exclusively to grapevines,[3] while the term "climber" is used for all climbing plants.[4]
- ^ Brown, Lesley (1993). The New shorter Oxford English dictionary on historical principles. Oxford [Eng.]: Clarendon. ISBN 0-19-861271-0.
- ^ Jackson; Benjamin; Daydon (1928). A Glossary of Botanic Terms with their Derivation and Accent, 4th ed. London: Gerald Duckworth & Co.
- ^ Francis E. Putz (1991). The Biology of Vines. Cambridge University Press. pp. xiii. ISBN 978-0-521-39250-1.
Using 'vines' to denote all climbing plants may initially confuse some readers from lands where, with due respect for wine, 'the vine' is used solely in reference to grapes.
- ^ Shorter Oxford English dictionary, 6th ed. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. 2007. p. 3804. ISBN 978-0199206872.