dioecious

or di·e·cious

[ dahy-ee-shuhs ]

/ daɪˈi ʃəs /

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adjective Biology.

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

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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

OTHER WORDS FROM dioecious

di·oe·cious·ly, adverbdi·oe·cious·ness, noundi·oe·cism

[dahy-ee-siz-uhm], /daɪˈi sɪz əm/, noun

Words nearby dioecious

Dio Chrysostom, Diocletian, diode, diode laser, Diodorus Siculus, dioecious, dioestrus, Diogenes, diol, diolefin, Diomede Islands

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use dioecious in a sentence

Grapes are not to-day considered dioecious but polygamo-dioecious, a distinction which will be defined later.
The Grapes of New York|U. P. Hedrick
Again, in the case of dioecious trees, only the female or pistillate bear fruit.
Michigan Trees|Charles Herbert Otis
If I am right, it is very advisable not to use the term "dioecious," as this at once brings notions of separation of sexes.
The Life and Letters of Charles Darwin, Volume II (of II)|Charles Darwin
The flowers are dioecious, rarely monoecious, provided with one or two perianths.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 12, Slice 7|Various

The flowers have no petals and are polygamous or dioecious (male, female and hermaphrodite flowers occur).
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 16, Slice 7|Various

British Dictionary definitions for dioecious

dioecious

diecious dioicous (daɪˈɔɪkəs)

/ (daɪˈiːʃəs) /

adjective

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

Derived forms of dioecious

dioeciously, dieciously or dioicously, adverbdioeciousness, dieciousness or dioicousness, noun

Word Origin for dioecious

C18: from New Latin Dioecia name of class, from di 1 + Greek oikia house, dwelling

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

Medical definitions for dioecious

dioecious

adj.

Of or relating to organisms, especially plants, having the male and female reproductive organs borne on separate individuals of the same species; sexually distinct.

Scientific definitions for dioecious

dioecious

[ dī-ē′shəs ]

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