apical dominance

noun Botany.

suppression of the development of lateral buds in a growing plant shoot, caused by hormones produced in the tip of the shoot.

Nearby words

apiarian, apiarist, apiary, apical, apical dental foramen, apical dominance, apical gland, apical granuloma, apical meristem, apical pneumonia, apical space

Origin of apical dominance

First recorded in 1945–50

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

Science definitions for apical dominance

apical dominance

[ ā′pĭ-kəl, ăp′ĭ- ]

Inhibition of the growth of lateral buds by the terminal bud of a plant shoot. In most plants, apical dominance results from the release of auxin by the apical meristem.