dehisce

[dih-his]

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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)

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for dehisce

Historical Examples of dehisce

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
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

verb

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

Word Origin for 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

Medicine definitions for dehisce