adventitious
Use Adventitious in a sentence
vənˈtɪʃ adjective
1.
associated with something by chance rather than as an integral part; extrinsic.
2.
Botany, Zoology. appearing in an abnormal or unusual position or place, as a root.
Origin:
1595–1605; < Latin adventīcius literally, coming from without, external, equivalent to ad- ad- + ven- (stem of venīre to come) + -t(us) past participle suffix + -īcius -itious
1595–1605; < Latin adventīcius literally, coming from without, external, equivalent to ad- ad- + ven- (stem of venīre to come) + -t(us) past participle suffix + -īcius -itious
Related forms
ad·ven·ti·tious·ly, adverb
ad·ven·ti·tious·ness, noun
non·ad·ven·ti·tious, adjective
non·ad·ven·ti·tious·ly, adverb
non·ad·ven·ti·tious·ness, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To adventitious
00:10
Adventitious
is always a great word to know.
So is quincunx. Does it mean:
| an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle. |
| a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison. |
Collins
World English Dictionary
adventitious (ˌædvɛnˈtɪʃəs) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —adj | |
| 1. | added or appearing accidentally or unexpectedly |
| 2. | (of a plant or animal part) developing in an abnormal position, as a root that grows from a stem |
| [C17: from Latin adventīcius coming from outside, from adventus a coming] | |
| adven'titiously | |
| —adv | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
adventitious
"of the nature of an addition from without," c.1600, from M.L. adventitius "coming from abroad, extraneous," a corruption of L. adventicius "coming from abroad, extraneous, foreign," from adventum, pp. of advenire "arrive" (see advent).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary
adventitious ad·ven·ti·tious (ād'věn-tĭsh'əs, -vən-)
adj.
Arising from an external source or occurring in an unusual place or manner; extrinsic.
Occurring accidentally or spontaneously, not caused by heredity.
Adventitial.
ad'ven·ti'tious·ly adv.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
Example sentences
This would be sacrificing the essential to the adventitious with a vengeance.
These climbing roots are adventitious; that is, they do not arise from the young root of the germinating seed.
The rhetoric reflected the sudden, adventitious nature of the crisis.
Stilt roots are adventitious roots that grow out of the main trunk, a yard or so above the ground.
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