This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
caducous
[ kuh-doo-kuhs, -dyoo- ]
/ kəˈdu kəs, -ˈdyu- /
Save This Word!
This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
adjective
QUIZ
WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?
Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!
Question 1 of 7
Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.
Origin of caducous
First recorded in 1675–85 for obsolete sense; 1805–10 for current senses; from Latin cadūcus “unsteady, perishable,” equivalent to cad(ere) “to fall” + -ūcus adjective suffix (see -ous)
Words nearby caducous
cadre, cadreman, caduceus, caducibranchiate, caducity, caducous, Cadwalader, Cadwallader, CAE, caecilian, caecum
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use caducous in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for caducous
caducous
/ (kəˈdjuːkəs) /
adjective
biology (of parts of a plant or animal) shed during the life of the organism
Word Origin for caducous
C17: from Latin cadūcus falling, from cadere to fall
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
Scientific definitions for caducous
caducous
[ kə-dōō′kəs ]
Detaching or dropping off at an early stage of development. The gills of most amphibians and the sepals or stipules of certain plants are caducous.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.