Meanings
adjectivedeciduous (not comparable)
- not comparableanatomyDescribing a part that falls off, or is shed, at a particular time or stage of development.
In the Hippoidea there is generally the full series of 44 teeth, but the first premolar is often deciduous or wanting in the lower or in both jaws.
1911, Richard Lydekker, 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica, EquidaeAntonyms: persistent, permanent
- not comparablebiologyOf or pertaining to trees which lose their leaves in winter or the dry season.
a deciduous tree
2 more examples
. Compare caducous.
A light breeze causes the naked branches overhead to rattle like wooden windchimes. This is a popular retreat for couples in the summer. The deciduous trees provide a beautiful green canopy, far out of sight of teachers and fellow students. But now, in late winter, it feels like I'm standing under a pile of kindling.
2012, Four Leaf Studios, “Prologue”, in Katawa ShoujoSynonyms: perdifoil · Antonyms: evergreen, sempervirent
- figurativelynot comparableTransitory, ephemeral, not lasting.
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveDescribing a part that falls off, or is shed, at a particular time or stage of development.
Opposite
adjectiveOf or pertaining to trees which lose their leaves in winter or the dry season.
Similar
Opposite
More synonyms by meaning
adjective(of plants and shrubs) shedding foliage at the end of the growing season
Similar
Opposite
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latindēcidō
- Latindēciduu
- Englishdeciduous
Learned borrowing from Latin dēciduus (“falling down or off”), from dēcidō (“to fall down or off”) + -uus.
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic نَفَضِي, نَفَضِية
- نَفَضِي (nafaḍī)of or pertaining to trees which lose their leaves in winter or the dry season
- نَفَضِية (nafaḍiya)of or pertaining to trees which lose their leaves in winter or the dry season
Bulgarian листопаден, широколистен
- листопаден (listopaden)of or pertaining to trees which lose their leaves in winter or the dry season
- широколистен (širokolisten)of or pertaining to trees which lose their leaves in winter or the dry season
Catalan caduc, decidu
- caducdescribing a part that falls off, or is shed
- decidudescribing a part that falls off, or is shed
- caducifoliof or pertaining to trees which lose their leaves in winter or the dry season
Chinese Mandarin 落葉喬木 /落叶乔木
- 落葉喬木 /落叶乔木 (luòyè qiáomù)of or pertaining to trees which lose their leaves in winter or the dry season
Czech opadavý
- opadavýof or pertaining to trees which lose their leaves in winter or the dry season
Danish løvfældende
- løvfældendeof or pertaining to trees which lose their leaves in winter or the dry season
Dutch bladverliezend, loofverliezend
- bladverliezendof or pertaining to trees which lose their leaves in winter or the dry season
- loofverliezendof or pertaining to trees which lose their leaves in winter or the dry season
Esperanto falfolia
- falfoliaof or pertaining to trees which lose their leaves in winter or the dry season
Finnish lehtensä pudottava, kesävihanta
- lehtensä pudottavaof or pertaining to trees which lose their leaves in winter or the dry season
- kesävihantaof or pertaining to trees which lose their leaves in winter or the dry season
French caduc, décidual
- caducdescribing a part that falls off, or is shed
- décidualdescribing a part that falls off, or is shed
- à feuilles caduquesof or pertaining to trees which lose their leaves in winter or the dry season
- caducifoliéof or pertaining to trees which lose their leaves in winter or the dry season
German Laub, laubabwerfend
- Laubof or pertaining to trees which lose their leaves in winter or the dry season
- laubabwerfendof or pertaining to trees which lose their leaves in winter or the dry season
- sommergrünof or pertaining to trees which lose their leaves in winter or the dry season
Greek φυλλοβόλος
- φυλλοβόλος (fyllovólos)of or pertaining to trees which lose their leaves in winter or the dry season
Hungarian leeső, lehulló
- leesődescribing a part that falls off, or is shed
- lehullódescribing a part that falls off, or is shed
- lehullajtottdescribing a part that falls off, or is shed
- lombhullatóof or pertaining to trees which lose their leaves in winter or the dry season
- múlékonytransitory, ephemeral, not lasting
Irish duillsilteach
- duillsilteachof or pertaining to trees which lose their leaves in winter or the dry season
Italian caduco, deciduo
- caducodescribing a part that falls off, or is shed
- deciduodescribing a part that falls off, or is shed
- caducifoglioof or pertaining to trees which lose their leaves in winter or the dry season
Japanese 落葉樹
- 落葉樹 (rakuyōju)of or pertaining to trees which lose their leaves in winter or the dry season
Korean 탈락성, 낙엽성
- 탈락성 (tallakseong)describing a part that falls off, or is shed
- 낙엽성 (nagyeopseong)of or pertaining to trees which lose their leaves in winter or the dry season
Māori rauhoro, rangitahi
- rauhoroof or pertaining to trees which lose their leaves in winter or the dry season
- rangitahitransitory, ephemeral, not lasting
Norwegian Bokmål løvfellende, lauvfellende
- løvfellendeof or pertaining to trees which lose their leaves in winter or the dry season
- lauvfellendeof or pertaining to trees which lose their leaves in winter or the dry season
Polish liściasty, ulotny
- liściastyof or pertaining to trees which lose their leaves in winter or the dry season
- ulotnytransitory, ephemeral, not lasting
- przemijającytransitory, ephemeral, not lasting
- przejściowytransitory, ephemeral, not lasting
Portuguese caduco, decíduo
- caducodescribing a part that falls off, or is shed
- decíduodescribing a part that falls off, or is shed
- caducifólioof or pertaining to trees which lose their leaves in winter or the dry season
- efêmerotransitory, ephemeral, not lasting
- transitóriotransitory, ephemeral, not lasting
Russian сбра́сываемый, моло́чный
- сбра́сываемый (sbrásyvajemyj)describing a part that falls off, or is shed
- моло́чный (molóčnyj)describing a part that falls off, or is shed
- ли́ственный (lístvennyj)of or pertaining to trees which lose their leaves in winter or the dry season
- листопа́дный (listopádnyj)of or pertaining to trees which lose their leaves in winter or the dry season
- быстроте́чный (bystrotéčnyj)transitory, ephemeral, not lasting
- преходя́щий (prexodjáščij)transitory, ephemeral, not lasting
- скороте́чный (skorotéčnyj)transitory, ephemeral, not lasting
Scottish Gaelic seargach
- seargachof or pertaining to trees which lose their leaves in winter or the dry season
Spanish caduco, deciduo
- caducodescribing a part that falls off, or is shed
- deciduodescribing a part that falls off, or is shed
- caducifolioof or pertaining to trees which lose their leaves in winter or the dry season
- de hoja caducaof or pertaining to trees which lose their leaves in winter or the dry season
- efímerotransitory, ephemeral, not lasting
- transitoriotransitory, ephemeral, not lasting
- fugaztransitory, ephemeral, not lasting
Swedish lövfällande
- lövfällandeof or pertaining to trees which lose their leaves in winter or the dry season
Turkish geçici, yaprak döken
- geçicidescribing a part that falls off, or is shed
- yaprak dökenof or pertaining to trees which lose their leaves in winter or the dry season
- yapraklarını dökenof or pertaining to trees which lose their leaves in winter or the dry season
- geçicitransitory, ephemeral, not lasting
Welsh collddail
- collddailof or pertaining to trees which lose their leaves in winter or the dry season
Cite this entry
APA
deciduous. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/deciduous
MLA
“deciduous.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/deciduous. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “deciduous,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/deciduous.
Source: deciduous on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.