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abscission

[ ab-sizh-uhn, -sish- ]
/ æbˈsɪʒ ən, -ˈsɪʃ- /
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See 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.
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Origin of abscission

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

Words nearby abscission

abscess, abscind, abscise, abscisic acid, abscissa, abscission, abscission layer, abscission zone, abscond, abscondee, abscondence
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

Words related to abscission

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

British Dictionary definitions for abscission

abscission
/ (æbˈsɪʒən, -ˈsɪʃ-) /
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

Medical 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.

Scientific 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.
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