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Definition of "dehisce" [de•hisce]

  • Botany To open at definite places, discharging seeds, pollen, or other contents, as the ripe capsules or pods of some plants. (verb-intransitive)
  • Medicine To rupture or break open, as a surgical wound. (verb-intransitive)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "dehisce" in a sentence
  • "A major concern had been that the sutured tissue would break down, or dehisce."
  • "The anther must dehisce (burst open) before pollen grains can be released."
  • "Koa pods are slow to dehisce and about 15 cm long and 25 to 4 cm wide."