geotropism

[ jee-o-truh-piz-uhm ]

/ dʒiˈɒ trəˌpɪz əm /

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noun Biology.

oriented growth with respect to the force of gravity.

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Origin of geotropism

First recorded in 1870–75; geo- + -tropism

Words nearby geotropism

geothermal, geothermal energy, geothermal gradient, geothermal power, geotropic, geotropism, Ge-Pano-Carib, ger., Gera, gerah, Geraint

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

How to use geotropism in a sentence

Thus I am now observing something about geotropism, and I had no idea a few weeks ago that this would have been necessary.
More Letters of Charles Darwin Volume II|Charles Darwin
No phenomenon of tropic movement appears so inexplicable as that of geotropism.
Life Movements in Plants, Volume II, 1919|Sir Jagadis Chunder Bose
The root is thus supposed to be characterised by "positive" and the shoot by "negative" geotropism.
Life Movements in Plants, Volume II, 1919|Sir Jagadis Chunder Bose
Hence an agent which acts on the organ from outside, induces phototropic change earlier than variation in geotropism.
Life Movements in Plants, Volume II, 1919|Sir Jagadis Chunder Bose

Further tests will be given later, to distinguish the phenomenon of Thermonasty from that of Thermo-geotropism.
Life Movements in Plants, Volume II, 1919|Sir Jagadis Chunder Bose

British Dictionary definitions for geotropism

geotropism

/ (dʒɪˈɒtrəˌpɪzəm) /

noun

the response of a plant part to the stimulus of gravity. Plant stems, which grow upwards irrespective of the position in which they are placed, show negative geotropism

Derived forms of geotropism

geotropic (ˌdʒiːəʊˈtrɒpɪk), adjectivegeotropically, adverb

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

Scientific definitions for geotropism

geotropism

[ jē-ŏt′rə-pĭz′əm ]

The directional growth of an organism in response to gravity. Roots display positive geotropism when they grow downwards, while shoots display negative geotropism when they grow upwards. Also called gravitropism

Other words from geotropism

geotropic adjective (jē′ə-trō′pĭk, jē′ə-trŏp′ĭk)