sessile

[ ses-il, -ahyl ]
/ ˈsɛs ɪl, -aɪl /

adjective

Botany. attached by the base, or without any distinct projecting support, as a leaf issuing directly from the stem.
Zoology. permanently attached; not freely moving.

QUIZZES

CAN YOU FEEL THE WEAL WITH THIS WORD OF THE DAY QUIZ?

Did you collect all of last week’s words, but eftsoons forget what they mean? Don’t worry, we’re here to jog your memory. See how many words from the week of May 18 to 24 you can get right!
Question 1 of 7
weal
well-being, prosperity, or happiness.
the intervening time.
a somewhat prolonged, sharp, shrill cry, as of pain, fear, or surprise.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of sessile

1715–25; < Latin sessilis fit for sitting on, low enough to sit on, dwarfish (said of plants), equivalent to sess(us) (past participle of sedēre to sit1) + -ilis -ile

OTHER WORDS FROM sessile

ses·sil·i·ty [se-sil-i-tee] /sɛˈsɪl ɪ ti/, nounpseu·do·ses·sile, adjectivesub·ses·sile, adjective

Words nearby sessile

sesquioxide, sesquipedalian, sesquiplane, sesquiterpene, sesshu, sessile, sessile oak, session, session musician, sessional indemnity, sessionman
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

British Dictionary definitions for subsessile

sessile
/ (ˈsɛsaɪl) /

adjective

(of flowers or leaves) having no stalk; growing directly from the stem
(of animals such as the barnacle) permanently attached to a substratum

Derived forms of sessile

sessility (sɛˈsɪlɪtɪ), noun

Word Origin for sessile

C18: from Latin sēssilis concerning sitting, from sedēre to sit
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 subsessile

sessile
[ sĕs′īl′, -əl ]

adj.

Permanently attached or fixed; not free-moving.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Scientific definitions for subsessile

sessile
[ sĕs′īl′ ]

Permanently attached or fixed and not free-moving, as corals and mussels.
Stalkless and attached directly at the base, as certain kinds of leaves and fruit.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.