caducous

[ kuh-doo-kuhs, -dyoo- ]

adjective

1. Botany. dropping off very early, as leaves.
2. Zoology. subject to shedding.
3. transitory; perishable.

caducous

/ kəˈdjuːkəs /

adjective

1. biology (of parts of a plant or animal) shed during the life of the organism

caducous

/ kə-do̅o̅′kəs /

1. Detaching or dropping off at an early stage of development. The gills of most amphibians and the sepals or stipules of certain plants are caducous.

Word History and Origins

Origin of caducous¹

First recorded in 1675–85 for obsolete sense; 1805–10 for current senses; from Latin cadūcus “unsteady, perishable,” equivalent to cad(ere) “to fall” + -ūcus adjective suffix ( -ous )

Word History and Origins

Origin of caducous¹

C17: from Latin cadūcus falling, from cadere to fall

Example Sentences

They invariably come laden with words that seem meant to prove his vocabulary is bigger than yours: flocculent, crapulent, caducous, anaglypta, mephitic, velutinous.

From New York Times

Embryo recurved.—Trees with milky juice, alternate entire pinnately veined leaves, caducous stipules, axillary peduncles, and stout axillary spines.

From Project Gutenberg

Sepals.—Three; strongly arched, covered with bristly appressed hairs; caducous.

From Project Gutenberg

Calyx, 5 rounded sepals, tuberculate at the base, imbricated, caducous.

From Project Gutenberg

The first and the second glumes are unequal, persistent or separately caducous.

From Project Gutenberg