sessile

S1E1S1S1I1L1E1
/ˈsɛsaɪl//ˈsɛsɪl/

adjective

Permanently attached to a substrate; not free to move about.

“a sessile oyster”

Similar
attachedfixedimmobileimmotileimmovableinanimateinertlifeless
Opposite
mobilemotilevagileambulatoryanimate
OriginLatin sessilis →
UncommonScrabble 7
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Meanings

adjectivesessile (not comparable)
  1. not comparablebiologyPermanently attached to a substrate; not free to move about.

    a sessile oyster

    Synonyms: attached, fixed, immobile, fixed, immobile, immotile, immovable, inanimate · Antonyms: mobile, motile, vagile, ambulatory, animate, kinetic, mobile, motile

  2. not comparablebiologyAttached directly by the base; not having an intervening stalk; stalkless.

    The pileus is sessile, or sometimes narrowed at the base into a short stem, the caps often numerous and crowded together in an overlapping or imbricate manner.

    1903, George Francis Atkinson, chapter VII, in Studies of American Fungi. Mushrooms, Edible, Poisonous, etc., 2nd edition, New York: Henry Holt
    1 more example

    The sporophyte foot is also characteristic: it is very broad and more or less lenticular or disciform, as broad or broader than the calyptra stalk[…], and is sessile on the calyptra base[…]

    1992, Rudolf M[athias] Schuster, The Hepaticae and Anthocerotae of North America: East of the Hundredth Meridian, volume V, Chicago, Ill.: Field Museum of Natural History, →ISBN, page 5

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectivePermanently attached to a substrate; not free to move about.

Similar
attachedfixedimmobilefixedimmobileimmotileimmovableinanimateinertlifelessstaticrigidstationarystuckunmovableunmoveable
Opposite
mobilemotilevagileambulatoryanimatekineticmobilemotilemotivemovablevagile

More synonyms by meaning

adjectivepermanently attached to a substrate; not free to move about

Opposite
vagile

adjectiveattached directly by the base; not having an intervening stalk

Similar
stalkless
Opposite
pedunculate
Also see
apetiolatefixedimmobileimmotileimmovableinanimatelifelessrigidstalklessstaticstationarystucktranquilunmovableunmoveable

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latinsessilis“sitting”
  2. Englishsessile

From Latin sessilis (“sitting”), from sessus, perfect passive participle of verb sedeō (“to sit”), + adjective suffix -ilis. Compare session.

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian прикрепен, неподвижен
  • прикрепен (prikrepen)zoology
  • неподвижен (nepodvižen)zoology
  • без дръжка (bez drăžka)botany
Catalan sèssil, sèssil
  • sèssilzoology
  • sèssilbotany
Finnish alustaan kiinnittynyt, varreton
  • alustaan kiinnittynytzoology
  • varretonbotany
  • kannatonbotany
French sessile
  • sessilezoology
German festgewachsen, festsitzend
  • festgewachsenzoology
  • festsitzendzoology
  • sitzendzoology
  • sessilzoology
  • ungestieltbotany
  • stiellosbotany
  • sessilbotany
  • sitzendbotany
Greek άμισχος
  • άμισχος (ámischos)botany
Italian sessile, sessile
  • sessilezoology
  • sessilebotany
Polish osadzony, bezogonkowy
  • osadzonyzoology
  • bezogonkowybotany
  • bezszypułkowybotany
Portuguese séssil, séssil
  • séssilzoology
  • séssilbotany
Russian сидя́чий, прикреплённый
  • сидя́чий (sidjáčij)zoology
  • прикреплённый (prikrepljónnyj)zoology
  • сидя́чий (sidjáčij)botany
  • бесчерешко́вый (besčereškóvyj)botany
Spanish sésil, sésil
  • sésilzoology
  • sésilbotany
Swedish sessil, fastsittande
  • sessilzoology
  • fastsittandezoology
Cite this entry
APA

sessile. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sessile

MLA

“sessile.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sessile. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “sessile,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sessile.

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