sclerophylly

[ skleer-uh-fil-ee ]

nounBotany.
  1. the normal development of much sclerenchyma in the leaves of certain plants, as some desert plants, resulting in thickened, hardened foliage that resists loss of moisture.

Origin of sclerophylly

1
First recorded in 1900–05; sclero- + -phyll + -y3

Words Nearby sclerophylly

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