gravitropism

noun

gra·​vit·​ro·​pism grə-ˈvi-trə-ˌpi-zəm 

: a tropism of a plant part in which gravity is the stimulus : geotropism

root gravitropism

No matter what the orientation of a seed for instance, the roots will always grow down to the soil. This has a special name, gravitropism, and is movement in response to the force of gravity …

—Jeanette Mackay

Examples of gravitropism in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In most trees, their sensitivity to the Earth's gravitational pull, called gravitropism, counteracts their will to bend toward light, keeping them upright. — Nathaniel Scharping, Discover Magazine, 6 June 2017

Word History

Etymology

gravi(ty) + -tropism

First Known Use

1969, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for gravitropism

• activism
• albinism
• altruism
• aneurism
• animism
• aphorism
• atomism
• barbarism
• bolshevism
• botulism
• brahmanism
• calvinism