Word
abscise
Phoneticsab·scise
Definition
v. to fall off a plant naturally, like a leaf in autumn. It can also mean to cut off a part of a plant, such as a branch or a flower.
v. to fall off a plant naturally, typically as a result of seasonal changes or biological programmed decay. Also used to describe the surgical removal of a part of a plant.
Examples
“The leaves begin to abscise as the weather gets colder.”
“Gardeners often abscise dead branches in early spring to encourage new growth during the summer season.”
“The plant's ability to abscise its outer layers is a sophisticated defense mechanism that allows it to shed toxins and protect its core from frost damage.”
Examples
simple
“The leaves begin to abscise as the weather gets colder.”
contextual
“Gardeners often abscise dead branches in early spring to encourage new growth during the summer season.”
complex
“The plant's ability to abscise its outer layers is a sophisticated defense mechanism that allows it to shed toxins and protect its core from frost damage.”
Etymology
From Latin abscīsus, perfect passive participle of abscīdō (“cut off”); formed from abs- + caedō (“cut”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
Domain
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/abscise