deciduous
/dɪˈsɪdʒuəs/
adjective
Origin
Latin
deciduus — falling down, ready to fall
Overview
Meaning Now
- Shedding its leaves annually at the end of the growing season.
- Falling off or being shed at a particular stage of development, such as milk teeth.
Literal older meaning
tending to fall off
Language path
Latin → English
Earliest form
deciduous
Earliest period
17th century
Journey
The term was popularized in the early 17th century by botanists and anatomists to distinguish between plants that lose their leaves and those that remain evergreen (conifers), as well as to describe the shedding of primary teeth in humans.
Evolution
- Latin
decidere
“to fall down, fall off”
Compound of 'de-' (down) and 'cadere' (to fall).
- Latin
deciduus
“liable to fall”
Adjectival formation from the verb.
- English, 17th century
deciduous
“shedding leaves or parts”
Borrowed into English to describe botanical and anatomical features.
Connections
Word parts
de-
prefix
down or away
cidu
root
falling
-ous
suffix
characterized by
Related across languages
French
décidu
deciduous
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Related to deciduous
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.