allelopathy

[uh-lee-lop-uh-thee, al-uh-lop-]

noun Botany.

suppression of growth of a plant by a toxin released from a nearby plant of the same or another species.

Origin of allelopathy

1940–45; < French allélopathie; see allele, -pathy

Related formsal·le·lo·path·ic

[uh-lee-luh-path-ik, uh-lel-uh-] /əˌli ləˈpæθ ɪk, əˌlɛl ə-/, adjective

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

British Dictionary definitions for allelopathy

allelopathy

noun

the inhibitory effect of one living plant upon another by the release of toxic substances

Word Origin for allelopathy

from French allélopathie, from Greek allēl- one another + pathos suffering

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

allelopathy in Science

allelopathy

[ə-lē-lŏp′ə-thē, ăl′ə-]

The inhibition of growth in one plant species by chemicals produced by another. For example, other plants will often not grow underneath black walnut trees, since these trees produce juglone, a chemical inhibiting plant respiration.