deciduous

[ dih-sij-oo-uhs ]

adjective

1. shedding the leaves annually, as certain trees and shrubs.
2. falling off or shed at a particular season, stage of growth, etc., as leaves, horns, or teeth.
3. not permanent; transitory.

deciduous

/ dɪˈsɪdjʊəs /

adjective

1. (of trees and shrubs) shedding all leaves annually at the end of the growing season and then having a dormant period without leaves Compare evergreen
2. (of antlers, wings, teeth, etc) being shed at the end of a period of growth
3. rare.
   impermanent; transitory Compare evergreen

deciduous

/ dĭ-sĭj′o̅o̅-əs /

1. Shedding leaves at the end of a growing season and regrowing them at the beginning of the next growing season. Most deciduous plants bear flowers and have woody stems and broad rather than needlelike leaves. Maples, oaks, elms, and aspens are deciduous.
2. Compare evergreenSee more at abscission
3. Falling off or shed at a particular season or stage of growth, as antlers.

Derived Forms

• deˈciduousness, noun
• deˈciduously, adverb

Other Words From

• de·cidu·ous·ly adverb
• de·cidu·ous·ness noun
• nonde·cidu·ous adjective
• nonde·cidu·ous·ly adverb
• nonde·cidu·ous·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of deciduous¹

First recorded in 1650–60; from Latin dēciduus “tending to fall, falling,” equivalent to dēcid(ere) “to fall off, down” ( dē- verb prefix of removal) + -cidere (combining form of cadere “to fall”) + -uus adjective suffix. See de-, -ous

Word History and Origins

Origin of deciduous¹

C17: from Latin dēciduus falling off, from dēcidere to fall down, from cadere to fall

Example Sentences

It included 16 ingredients, Indian mulberry, golden eye-grass, the deciduous perennial Asian lizard’s tail and the carrot-like plant Szechuan Lovage among them.

From Los Angeles Times

Warm, tropical forests gave way to open grasslands, deserts and cold deciduous forests.

From Science Daily

In many areas, deciduous shrubs and trees, like willow and aspen, are moving in after a fire.

From Science Daily

Trips to the dentist have taught me that candy and sweet juices destroy deciduous teeth.

From Salon

Members of her species didn’t take their first upright steps in open savanna grasslands, as her discoverers thought, but walked first in a grassy woodland with deciduous trees.

From Science Magazine

Related Words

• brief
• ephemeral
• fleeting
• momentary
• short-term
• temporary
• transitory