dioecious

or di·e·cious

[ dahy-ee-shuhs ]

adjectiveBiology.
  1. (especially of plants) having the male and female organs in separate and distinct individuals; having separate sexes.

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Origin of dioecious

1
1740–50; <New Latin Dioeci(a) a class name (di-di-1 + Greek oikía a house, dwelling, spelling variant of oîkos) + -ous

Other words from dioecious

  • di·oe·cious·ly, adverb
  • di·oe·cious·ness, noun
  • di·oe·cism [dahy-ee-siz-uhm], /daɪˈi sɪz əm/, noun

Words Nearby dioecious

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How to use dioecious in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for dioecious

dioecious

diecious dioicous (daɪˈɔɪkəs)

/ (daɪˈiːʃəs) /


adjective
  1. (of some plants) having the male and female reproductive organs in separate flowers on separate plants: Compare monoecious

Origin of dioecious

1
C18: from New Latin Dioecia name of class, from di 1 + Greek oikia house, dwelling

Derived forms of dioecious

  • dioeciously, dieciously or dioicously, adverb
  • dioeciousness, dieciousness or dioicousness, noun

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

Scientific definitions for dioecious

dioecious

[ dī-ēshəs ]


  1. Having male flowers on one plant and female flowers on another plant of the same species. The holly and asparagus plants are dioecious. Compare monoecious.

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