dehiscence

D2E1H4I1S1C3E1N1C3E1
/dɪˈhɪsəns/

noun

Opening of an organ by its own means (such as an anther or a seed pod) to release its contents.

OriginNew Latin dehiscentia ← Latin dehiscentem →
UncommonScrabble 18
Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

noundehiscence (countable and uncountable, plural dehiscences)

plural dehiscences

  1. countableuncountablebiologyOpening of an organ by its own means (such as an anther or a seed pod) to release its contents.
  2. countableuncountablemedicineA rupture, as with a surgical wound opening up, often with a flow of serous fluid.
  3. countablerareuncountableOpening, gaping, in a general sense.

Origin

  1. Latindehiscentem
  2. New Latindehiscentia
  3. Englishdehiscence

From New Latin dehiscentia (in Linnaeus), from Latin dehiscentem, present participle of dehiscō. By surface analysis, dehisce + -ence.

More words from New Latin, Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Basque dehiszentzia
  • dehiszentzia(botany) opening of an organ by its own means
Catalan dehiscència, dehiscència
  • dehiscència(botany) opening of an organ by its own means
  • dehiscència(medicine) rupture
Czech rozestup
  • rozestup(medicine) rupture
Dutch dehiscentie
  • dehiscentie(botany) opening of an organ by its own means
French déhiscence, déhiscence
  • déhiscence(botany) opening of an organ by its own means
  • déhiscence(medicine) rupture
German Platzbauch
  • Platzbauch(medicine) rupture
Italian deiscenza, deiscenza
  • deiscenza(botany) opening of an organ by its own means
  • deiscenza(medicine) rupture
Japanese 縫合不全
  • 縫合不全 (hōgō fuzen)(medicine) rupture
Polish ewentracja
  • ewentracja(medicine) rupture
Portuguese deiscência
  • deiscência(botany) opening of an organ by its own means
Romanian dehiscență
  • dehiscență(botany) opening of an organ by its own means
Spanish dehiscencia, dehiscencia
  • dehiscencia(botany) opening of an organ by its own means
  • dehiscencia(medicine) rupture
Cite this entry
APA

dehiscence. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dehiscence

MLA

“dehiscence.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dehiscence. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “dehiscence,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dehiscence.

Source: dehiscence on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.