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dehisce

[dih-his]
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verb (used without object), de·hisced, de·hisc·ing.
  1. to burst open, as capsules of plants; gape.
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Origin of dehisce

1650–60; < Latin dēhiscere to gape, part, equivalent to dē- de- + hiscere to gape, yawn (hi(āre) to yawn + -scere inchoative suffix)
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words

cleavedivideyawgapyawnpartsplitcrackdehisce

Examples from the Web for dehisce

Historical Examples

  • Tendrils semi-continuous to semi-intermittent, bifid, dehisce early.

    The Grapes of New York

    U. P. Hedrick

  • The name capsule is applied generally to all dry syncarpous fruits, which dehisce by valves.

  • When mature they dehisce by a small opening, and when broken open will disclose the olive or greenish-yellow capillitium.

British Dictionary definitions for dehisce

dehisce

verb
  1. (intr) (of fruits, anthers, etc) to burst open spontaneously, releasing seeds, pollen, etc
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Word Origin

C17: from Latin dēhiscere to split open, from de- + hiscere to yawn, gape
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
dehisce in Medicine

dehisce

(dĭ-hĭs′)
v.
  1. To rupture or break open, as a surgical wound.
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The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
dehisce in Science

dehiscence

[dĭ-hĭs′əns]
  1. The spontaneous opening at maturity of a plant structure, such as a fruit, anther, or sporangium, to release its contents. Compare indehiscence.
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Related formsdehisce verb
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.