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vernalize

American  
[vur-nl-ahyz] / ˈvɜr nlˌaɪz /
especially British, vernalise

verb (used with object)

vernalized, vernalizing
  1. to shorten the growth period of (a plant) by chilling or other special treatment of it, its seeds, or its bulbs.


vernalize British  
/ ˈvɜːnəˌlaɪz /

verb

  1. to subject ungerminated or germinating seeds to low temperatures, which is essential for many (plants) of temperate environments to ensure germination in some species and flowering in others

"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

  • vernalization noun

Etymology

Origin of vernalize

First recorded in 1820–30; vernal + -ize

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.

These findings suggest that resetting the vernalized state is a process of de novo FLC activation in the pro-embryo by an embryonic transcription factor and occurs regardless of whether parental plants have been vernalized.

From Nature

This process, known as vernalizing, was pioneered at a number of research stations, including one at Virginia Tech.

From Washington Post

We vernalize artichokes, which survive winter in moderate climates and, as biennials, bear the second year.

From Washington Post

However, this stable silenced or 'vernalized' state must be reset in each generation.

From Nature

Mayberry, now retired in Colorado, went on to cross Imperial Star with varieties he found in Peru and developed the first vernalized purple artichoke variety, Colorado Star.

From Washington Post