senescent

[ si-nes-uhnt ]

adjective

1. growing old; aging.
2. Cell Biology. (of a cell) no longer capable of dividing but still alive and metabolically active.

senescent

/ sɪˈnɛsənt /

adjective

1. growing old
2. characteristic of old age

Derived Forms

• seˈnescence, noun

Other Words From

• se·nescence noun
• unse·nescent adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of senescent¹

First recorded in 1650–60; from Latin senēscent- (stem of senēscēns ) present participle of senēscere “to grow old,” equivalent to sen- “old” + -ēscent- -escent

Word History and Origins

Origin of senescent¹

C17: from Latin senēscere to grow old, from senex old

Example Sentences

It seems it was the Democrats’ unpopular, senescent, cantankerous candidate who was holding them back after all.

From Los Angeles Times

There have been female kings, stagings in innumerable languages, productions set in Viking times, or in a modern-day nursing home with Lear’s madness depicted as a senescent dream.

From Los Angeles Times

The trigger for the nerves’ retreat, Dimmeler and colleagues found, is senescent cells, damaged cells that accumulate in tissues with age.

From Science Magazine

Mice fed a particular type of ketogenic diet accumulated so-called senescent cells in their organs, researchers report today in Science Advances.

From Science Magazine

Regot says cells that are stressed after copying the genome can enter a dormant, or senescent stage, and mistakenly run the risk of copying their genome again.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• elderly