abscisic acid

[ab-sis-ik, -siz-]

noun

Biochemistry.

1. a growth-regulating plant hormone, C 15 H 20 O 4 , that promotes dormancy and the aging and abscission of leaves.

abscisic acid

1. A plant hormone that maintains the water balance of plants, prevents seed embryos from germinating, and induces the dormancy of buds and seeds. Chemical formula: C ₁₅ H ₂₀ O ₄.

Word History and Origins

Origin of abscisic acid¹

abscis(sion) + -ic, on the model of the earlier name abscisin ( -in ² ), coined in 1961