after-ripening

[af-ter-rahy-puh-ning, ahf-]

noun

biochemical or physical changes that occur in a dormant seed to ensure germination and in fruits after harvesting.

the period during which this occurs.

Origin of after-ripening

First recorded in 1840–45

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for after-ripening

after-ripening

noun

botany the period of internal change that is necessary in some apparently mature seeds before germination can occur

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