dehiscence

[ dih-his-uh ns ]

/ dɪˈhɪs əns /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR dehiscence ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

Biology. the release of materials by the splitting open of an organ or tissue.

Botany. the natural bursting open of capsules, fruits, anthers, etc., for the discharge of their contents.

Surgery. the bursting open of a surgically closed wound.

Nearby words

Origin of dehiscence

1820–30; < New Latin dēhiscentia, equivalent to Latin dēhiscent- stem of dēhiscēns, present participle of dēhiscere (see dehisce) + -ia; see -ence

Related formsde·his·cent, adjectivenon·de·his·cent, adjective

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

Examples from the Web for dehiscent

The order is easily distinguished by the hard, dry, woody texture of the leaves and the dehiscent fruits.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 2, Slice 8|Various
The Capsule, the dry and dehiscent fruit of any compound pistil.
The Elements of Botany|Asa Gray
Fruit dry and dehiscent; the pods (follicles) opening down the ventral suture, many-rarely few-seeded.
The Manual of the Botany of the Northern United States|Asa Gray
From the latter it is also distinct in its dehiscent cone and in its seed.
The Genus Pinus|George Russell Shaw

Dehiscent into the cavity of a cell through the dorsal suture.
The Manual of the Botany of the Northern United States|Asa Gray

British Dictionary definitions for dehiscent

dehiscent

/ (dɪˈhɪsənt) /

adjective

(of fruits, anthers, etc) opening spontaneously to release seeds or pollen

Derived Formsdehiscence, 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

Word Origin and History for dehiscent

dehiscence

1828, from Modern Latin dehiscentia, from dehiscentem (nominative dehiscens), present participle of dehiscere "to gape, open, split down" (of the earth, etc.), from de- (see de-) + hiscere, inchoative of hiare "to yawn" (see yawn (v.)).