caducous

ca·du·cous

 (kə-do͞o′kəs, -dyo͞o′-)

adj.

Dropping off or shedding at an early stage of development, as the gills of most amphibians or the sepals or stipules of certain plants.

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[From Latin cadūcus, falling, from cadere, to fall; see kad- in Indo-European roots.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

caducous

(kəˈdjuːkəs)

adj

(Biology) biology (of parts of a plant or animal) shed during the life of the organism

[C17: from Latin cadūcus falling, from cadere to fall]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

ca•du•cous

(kəˈdu kəs, -ˈdyu-)

adj.

1. Bot. dropping off very early, as leaves.

2. Zool. subject to shedding.

[1675–85; < Latin cadūcus unsteady, perishable =cad(ere) to fall + -ūcus adj. suffix; see -ous]

Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

Thesaurus

Adj.

1.

caducous - shed at an early stage of development; "most amphibians have caducous gills"; "the caducous calyx of a poppy" shed biological science, biology - the science that studies living organisms lasting, persistent - retained; not shed; "persistent leaves remain attached past maturity"; "the persistent gills of fishes"

Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.