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abscission

[ab-sizh-uh n, -sish-]
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR abscission ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the act of cutting off; sudden termination.
Botany. the normal separation of flowers, fruit, and leaves from plants.

RELATED WORDS

extirpation, cutting, removal, ablation, section, incision, resection, enucleation

Origin of abscission

First recorded in 1605–15, abscission is from the Latin word abscissiōn- (stem of abscissiō). See abscissa, -ion
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
British Dictionary definitions for abscission

abscission

noun

the separation of leaves, branches, flowers, and bark from plants by the formation of an abscission layer
the act of cutting off

Word Origin for abscission

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
Word Origin and History for abscission
n.

"removal or cutting away," early 15c., from Latin abscissionem (nominative abscissio) "a cutting off," noun of action from past participle stem of abscindere (see abscissa).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Medicine definitions for abscission

abscission

[ăb-sĭzh′ən]

n.

The act of cutting off or away.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Science definitions for abscission

abscission

[ăb-sĭzh′ən]

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.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.