monocarpic

American

[mon-uh-kahr-pik] / ˌmɒn əˈkɑr pɪk /

adjective

Botany.

producing fruit only once and then dying.

monocarpic British

/ ˌmɒnəʊˈkɑːpɪk /

adjective

Also: hapaxanthic. botany another name for semelparous

"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

Etymology

Origin of monocarpic

First recorded in 1840–50; monocarp + -ic

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Such succulents are monocarpic, meaning they die after flowering.

From Seattle Times

Agaves are monocarpic, which means they only flower once, set seed and then die.

From BBC

It is monocarpic: When it bloomed, it died, and no one bothered to replace it.

From Washington Post

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023