abscise

verb

ab·​scise ab-ˈsīz How to pronounce abscise (audio)
abscised; abscising

transitive verb

: to separate (something, such as a flower from a stem) by abscission

intransitive verb

: to separate by abscission

Word History

Etymology

Middle English abscisen "to cut away," borrowed from Latin abscīsus, past participle of abscīdere "to cut off or away, remove," from abs- (variant of ab- ab- before c- and t-) + caedere "to strike, cut through, fell"; in later use back-formation from abscision, taken as synonym of abscission — more at concise

First Known Use

1612, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of abscise was in 1612

Dictionary Entries Near abscise

Cite this Entry

“Abscise.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/abscise. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!