Dictionary
Thesaurus
Reference
Translate
Web
Popular Searches
on Ask.com
Nearby Entries
dehisces - 2 dictionary results

de⋅hisce

  [di-his]
Use dehisces in a Sentence
–verb (used without object), -hisced, -hisc⋅ing.
to burst open, as capsules of plants; gape.
Origin:
1650–60; < L dēhiscere to gape, part, equiv. to dē- de- + hiscere to gape, yawn (hi(āre) to yawn + -scere inchoative suffix)
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To dehisces
de·hisce   (dĭ-hĭs')   
intr.v.   de·hisced, de·hisc·ing, de·hisc·es
  1. Botany To open at definite places, discharging seeds, pollen, or other contents, as the ripe capsules or pods of some plants.
  2. Medicine To rupture or break open, as a surgical wound.

[Latin dehīscere : dē-, de- + hīscere, to split, inchoative of hiāre, to be open.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see dehisces on Thesaurus | Reference