dehisce

[ dih-his ]

See synonyms for dehisce on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object),de·hisced, de·hisc·ing.

to burst open, as capsules of plants; gape.

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)

Words Nearby dehisce

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

How to use dehisce in a sentence

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.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 3 | Various
Occasionally, follicles dehisce by the dorsal suture, as in Magnolia grandiflora and Banksia.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 3 | Various
When mature they dehisce by a small opening, and when broken open will disclose the olive or greenish-yellow capillitium.
The Mushroom, Edible and Otherwise | M. E. Hard

British Dictionary definitions for dehisce

dehisce

/ (dɪˈhɪs) /

verb

(intr) (of fruits, anthers, etc) to burst open spontaneously, releasing seeds, pollen, etc

Origin of dehisce

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

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