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deciduous

[ dih-sij-oo-uhs ]
/ dɪˈsɪdʒ u əs /
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adjective
shedding the leaves annually, as certain trees and shrubs.
falling off or shed at a particular season, stage of growth, etc., as leaves, horns, or teeth.
not permanent; transitory.

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Deciduous: Visual Word of the Day

Pine and fir trees kept their green while their deciduous brothers were a riot of color. -- Crickett Starr, Violet Among the Roses

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See also caducous, fugacious.

Origin of deciduous

First recorded in 1650–60; from Latin dēciduus “tending to fall, falling,” equivalent to dēcid(ere) “to fall off, down” (dē- verb prefix of removal) + -cidere (combining form of cadere “to fall”) + -uus adjective suffix. See de-, -ous

OTHER WORDS FROM deciduous

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use deciduous in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for deciduous

deciduous
/ (dɪˈsɪdjʊəs) /

adjective
(of trees and shrubs) shedding all leaves annually at the end of the growing season and then having a dormant period without leavesCompare evergreen (def. 1)
(of antlers, wings, teeth, etc) being shed at the end of a period of growth
rare impermanent; transitoryCompare evergreen (def. 2)

Derived forms of deciduous

deciduously, adverbdeciduousness, noun

Word Origin for deciduous

C17: from Latin dēciduus falling off, from dēcidere to fall down, 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 deciduous

deciduous
[ dĭ-sĭjōō-əs ]

Shedding leaves at the end of a growing season and regrowing them at the beginning of the next growing season. Most deciduous plants bear flowers and have woody stems and broad rather than needlelike leaves. Maples, oaks, elms, and aspens are deciduous. Compare evergreen. See more at abscission.
Falling off or shed at a particular season or stage of growth, as antlers.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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