abscission

[ ab-sizh-uhn, -sish- ]
See synonyms for abscission on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. the act of cutting off; sudden termination.

  2. Botany. the normal separation of flowers, fruit, and leaves from plants.

Origin of abscission

1
First recorded in 1605–15, abscission is from the Latin word abscissiōn- (stem of abscissiō). See abscissa, -ion

Words Nearby abscission

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British Dictionary definitions for abscission

abscission

/ (æbˈsɪʒən, -ˈsɪʃ-) /


noun
  1. the separation of leaves, branches, flowers, and bark from plants by the formation of an abscission layer

  2. the act of cutting off

Origin of abscission

1
C17: from Latin abscissiōn-, from ab- 1 + scissiō a cleaving

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for abscission

abscission

[ ăb-sĭzhən ]


  1. The separation of a leaf, flower, or fruit from a plant as a result of natural structural and chemical changes.♦ The abscission zone is a layer of weak, thin-walled cells that form across the base of the plant part where the break eventually occurs. A corky layer containing suberin forms beneath the abscission zone to protect the plant.

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