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sessile

adjective
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ses·​sile | \ ˈse-ˌsī(-ə)l How to pronounce sessile (audio) , -səl \

Definition of sessile

1 : attached directly by the base : not raised upon a stalk or peduncle a sessile leaf sessile bubbles
2 : permanently attached or established : not free to move about sessile sponges and coral polyps

Examples of sessile in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Jellyfish begin their lives much like their cousins, as sessile polyps anchored to the seafloor, scrounging for food in the passing currents. — Quanta Magazine, "Jellyfish Genome Hints That Complexity Isn’t Genetically Complex," 8 Jan. 2019 Well, the sessile oak sapling—from Belleau, the French site of a World War I battle—is no longer on the White House lawn. — David Meyer, Fortune, "Why the Tree Emmanuel Macron Gifted to Trump Disappeared From the White House Lawn," 30 Apr. 2018 Another factor, Monterro-Serra notes, is that these sessile species are clonal. — National Geographic, "Why This Animal Can Live for Over 500 Years," 31 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sessile.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of sessile

circa 1753, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for sessile

Latin sessilis of or fit for sitting, low, dwarf (of plants), from sessus, past participle of sedēre

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Time Traveler for sessile

Time Traveler

The first known use of sessile was circa 1753

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Cite this Entry

“Sessile.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sessile. Accessed 21 January 2020.

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More Definitions for sessile

sessile

adjective
ses·​sile | \ ˈses-īl How to pronounce sessile (audio) , -əl How to pronounce sessile (audio) \

Medical Definition of sessile

1 : attached directly by a broad base : not pedunculated a sessile tumor
2 : firmly attached (as to a cell) : not free to move about sessile antibodies

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