deciduous
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.
Origin of deciduous
1Other words from deciduous
- de·cid·u·ous·ly, adverb
- de·cid·u·ous·ness, noun
- non·de·cid·u·ous, adjective
- non·de·cid·u·ous·ly, adverb
- non·de·cid·u·ous·ness, noun
Words Nearby deciduous
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use deciduous in a sentence
This sweet spot happens in September, just before the deciduous trees start flaming all-out crimson.
The Trace slices through eastern deciduous forests, cave-rich limestone landscapes, and, farther south, bayous and cypress swamps alongside slow-moving rivers.
Bordering the Pacific Ocean, the rainforest region of the peninsula is filled with deciduous old-growth, moss-laden forests that sparkle amidst the infamous drizzle of the Pacific Northwest.
The Military’s ‘Garbage Disposal’ Jets Are Ruining One of America’s Quietest Parks | Daniel Modlin | June 7, 2021 | The Daily BeastWinter is the optimum time to prune most deciduous woody plants, when they are dormant and their branch architecture is most evident.
It’s tree-pruning season. Here’s how to do it without resorting to ‘crape murder.’ | Adrian Higgins | January 27, 2021 | Washington PostIt is the deciduous, woody plants that give a place its sense of seasonality and vitality.
Winter wonders: Conifers revive the sleeping garden. But remember, less is more. | Adrian Higgins | December 2, 2020 | Washington Post
However, they were not seen to venture far into the surrounding deciduous forest.
Summer Birds From the Yucatan Peninsula | Erwin E. KlaasHardwood trees shed their leaves annually, and they are called deciduous trees.
Hallowed Heritage: The Life of Virginia | Dorothy M. TorpeyThis is known as the "deciduous" habit, and such trees are called deciduous trees, in distinction from "evergreen" trees.
It will grow and has been found on almost any deciduous tree, preferring those with soft bark, and growing very seldom on the Oak.
The plant-lore and garden-craft of Shakespeare | Henry Nicholson EllacombeAt any rate, it is the only deciduous tree I know of that does not let go the old seed till the new is well on the way.
A Year in the Fields | John Burroughs
British Dictionary definitions for deciduous
/ (dɪˈsɪdjʊəs) /
(of trees and shrubs) shedding all leaves annually at the end of the growing season and then having a dormant period without leaves: Compare evergreen (def. 1)
(of antlers, wings, teeth, etc) being shed at the end of a period of growth
rare impermanent; transitory: Compare evergreen (def. 2)
Origin of deciduous
1Derived forms of deciduous
- deciduously, adverb
- deciduousness, noun
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
[ dĭ-sĭj′ōō-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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