dioecious

American  

[dahy-ee-shuhs] / daɪˈi ʃəs /

Or diecious

adjective

Biology.

1. (especially of plants) having the male and female organs in separate and distinct individuals; having separate sexes.

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dioecious British  

/ daɪˈɔɪkəs, daɪˈiːʃəs /

adjective

1. (of some plants) having the male and female reproductive organs in separate flowers on separate plants Compare monoecious

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dioecious Scientific  

/ dī-ē′shəs /

1. Having male flowers on one plant and female flowers on another plant of the same species. The holly and asparagus plants are dioecious.

2. Compare monoecious

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Other Word Forms

• dioeciously
  adverb
• dioeciousness
  noun
• dioecism
  noun

Etymology

Origin of dioecious

1740–50; < New Latin Dioeci ( a ) a class name ( di- di- ¹ + Greek oikía a house, dwelling, spelling variant of oîkos ) + -ous

Compare meaning

How does dioecious compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• monoecious vs. dioecious

Example Sentences

Salix are generally dioecious — their male and female reproductive parts are on different plants.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 6, 2024

Nepenthes is part of the just 6% of flowering plant species that are dioecious, meaning each individual plant produces either male or female flowers.

From Science Daily • Nov. 30, 2023

Even dioecious trees can be cultivated to lack “female” qualities, like dropping messy seeds and inedible fruit.

From Slate • Oct. 20, 2021

Willows are dioecious; that is, male trees produce only male flowers, and female trees produce only female flowers.

From New York Times • Apr. 4, 2018

The former plants are termed self-incompatible hermaphrodites; the latter, dioecious species.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond