deciduous

adjective

de·​cid·​u·​ous di-ˈsi-jə-wəs How to pronounce deciduous (audio)
-jü-əs
1
biology : falling off or shed seasonally or at a certain stage of development in the life cycle
deciduous leaves
deciduous scales
2
biology
a
: having deciduous parts
maples, birches, and other deciduous trees
deciduous dentition
b
: having the dominant plants deciduous
a deciduous forest
3
: ephemeral
There is much that is deciduous in books …J. R. Lowell
deciduousness noun

Examples of deciduous in a Sentence

the bare branches of a deciduous tree in winter he chose not to fret about the deciduous discomforts of his existence
Recent Examples on the Web Evergreen or deciduous trees and shrubs work equally well. Andrea Beck, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Mar. 2024 Fruiting trees and shrubs As the weather warms, restart watering deciduous fruit trees: pomegranate, apricot, peach, apple, etc. Nan Sterman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Mar. 2024 But this is part of the problem with deciduous fruit trees; the fruit ripens during a period of a few weeks. Joshua Siskin, Orange County Register, 27 Jan. 2024 The Glossopteris that grew during this time were almost certainly deciduous, losing their leaves in fall and growing new leaves in spring. Allison Futterman, Discover Magazine, 10 Nov. 2023 Officially starting this deciduous design project in the fall of 2020, Nik had the idea bouncing around in his head for well over a decade. Kristin Guy, Sunset Magazine, 7 Nov. 2023 My patio and backyard design is more deciduous midcentury than Pacific-palm tree. Leslie Yazel, wsj.com, 17 Oct. 2023 Trees are easy to classify as evergreen or deciduous—some lose their leaves, some don't—based on their looks alone, but flowers aren't so simple. Kate McGregor, House Beautiful, 2 Aug. 2023 Finish pruning and spraying deciduous fruit trees like peaches, pluots, apples, pears, persimmon, etc. Nan Sterman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'deciduous.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin deciduus, from decidere to fall off, from de- + cadere to fall — more at chance

First Known Use

1657, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of deciduous was in 1657

Dictionary Entries Near deciduous

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

deciduous

adjective
de·​cid·​u·​ous di-ˈsij-ə-wəs How to pronounce deciduous (audio)
1
: falling off (as at the end of a growing period or stage of development)
antlers are deciduous
deciduous leaves
2
: having deciduous parts or members with deciduous parts
deciduous trees
a deciduous forest

Medical Definition

deciduous

adjective
de·​cid·​u·​ous di-ˈsij-ə-wəs How to pronounce deciduous (audio)
1
: falling off or shed at a certain stage in the life cycle
2
: having deciduous parts
a deciduous dentition

More from Merriam-Webster on deciduous

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