dehisce
/diːˈhɪs/ IELTSAcademic
verb
If a fruit, seed pod, or flower dehisces, it opens naturally when it is ripe or dry. In medicine, a wound dehisces when it splits open after surgery or injury.
- The pod dehisced and spilled the seeds.
- The surgical wound began to dehisce.
- Many capsules dehisce at maturity.
Adinary Nuance
Dehisce is more exact than "open" or "split". Writers use it in botany for fruit or pods, and in medicine for wounds. It sounds technical, so it fits formal scientific writing, not everyday speech.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- nứt mở
- Spanish
- dehiscer
- Chinese
- 裂开
- Japanese
- 裂開する
- Korean
- 벌어지다
Etymology
Dehisce comes from Latin dehiscere, meaning “to gape open.” It entered English through scientific and medical writing, especially in the 17th to 19th centuries.
Common phrases
dehisce at maturitydehiscing podwound dehiscence
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- Is dehisce a common word?
- No. It is mainly used in botany and medicine.
- Can I use dehisce in everyday English?
- Usually not. "Open" or "split" sounds more natural in daily speech.
- What is the noun form of dehisce?
- The noun form is dehiscence.
- Does dehisce mean the same as burst?
- Sometimes, but dehisce is more specific and technical.