a. [ad. mod.L. tōmentōs-us, It. tomentoso, f. L. tōment-um stuffing for cushions + -OSE.]
1. Bot. Closely covered with down or short hairs; pubescent, downy. Also as second element, in albo-tomentose, covered with white down, farinose-tomentose, covered with mealy down, etc.
1698. Fryer, Acc. E. India & P., 40 (Plate). Nutts … whose tomentose husk taken off, leaves the Areca nut.
1699. Sloane, in Phil. Trans., XXI. 116. Pappous and tomentose Seeds of Hieracium, Lisymachia.
1785. Martyn, Rousseau’s Bot., xxix. (1794), 455. The surface … tomentose or nappy underneath.
1872. Oliver, Elem. Bot., App. 307. Stem … glabrous or sparsely tomentose.
1887. W. Phillips, Brit. Discomycetes, 61. Peziza grandis … externally olivaceous-umber, with a lacunose albo-tomentose base. Ibid., 269. Externally farinose-tomentose, pale red or dilute-cinnamon.
2. Entom. and Anat. Flocculent, flossy, woolly.
1826. Kirby & Sp., Entomol., IV. xlvi. 276. Tomentose … Covered with short interwoven inconspicuous hairs.
1852. Dana, Crust., I. 240. The pubescence or tomentose covering is exceedingly short.
1859. Todd’s Cycl. Anat., V. 636/1. A tomentose or … villous condition of the surface.
1872. Peaslee, Ovar. Tumors, 35. If the latter be purulent, it becomes fungous, tomentose, reddish.
