cladoptosis

American

[klad-op-toh-sis, klay-dop-] / ˌklæd ɒpˈtoʊ sɪs, ˌkleɪ dɒp- /

noun

Botany.

the annual shedding of twigs or branches instead of leaves, as in certain cypresses.

First recorded in 1880–85; clado- + ptosis

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023