florigen

noun

flo·​ri·​gen ˈflȯr-ə-jən How to pronounce florigen (audio)
: a hormone or hormonal agent that promotes flowering
florigenic adjective

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Russian florigen, from flori- flori- + -gen -gen

Note: The Russian term was apparently introduced by the Soviet Armenian plant physiologist Mixail Xristoforovič Čajlaxjan (1902-91) in an article published in 1936 in the Doklady Akademii Nauk SSSR/Comptes rendus de l'Académie des Sciences de l'URSS. An English version of the article, entitled "New facts in support of the hormonal theory of plant development," was published in vol. 13 (1936) of the Doklady, pp. 79-83.

First Known Use

1936, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of florigen was in 1936

Dictionary Entries Near florigen

Cite this Entry

“Florigen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/florigen. Accessed 23 Mar. 2023.

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