dichogamy

noun

di·​chog·​a·​my dī-ˈkä-gə-mē How to pronounce dichogamy (audio)
plural dichogamies
: the production of male and female reproductive elements at different times by a hermaphroditic organism in order to ensure cross-fertilization
dichogamous adjective

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin dichogamia & German Dichogamie, from dicho- dicho- + -gamia, -gamie -gamy

Note: Term introduced in both German and Latin by the German naturalist Christian Konrad Sprengel (1750-1816) in Das entdeckte Geheimnis der Natur im Bau und in der Befruchtung der Blumen (Berlin, 1793), p. 17/18.

First Known Use

1862, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of dichogamy was in 1862

Dictionary Entries Near dichogamy

Cite this Entry

“Dichogamy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dichogamy. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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