polycarpic

American

[pol-ee-kahr-pik] / ˌpɒl iˈkɑr pɪk /

Or polycarpous

adjective

Botany.

producing fruit many times, as a perennial plant.
having a gynoecium composed of two or more distinct ovaries.

polycarpic British

/ ˌpɒlɪˈkɑːpɪk /

adjective

(of a plant) able to produce flowers and fruit several times in successive years or seasons

"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

Other Word Forms

polycarpy noun

Etymology

Origin of polycarpic

From the New Latin word polycarpicus, dating back to 1840–50. See poly-, -carpic

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.

Other polycarpic species, such as perennials, flower several times during their life span, but not each year.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2015

Fruit trees, such as apple and orange trees, are polycarpic; they flower every year.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2015

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