Definition of "senesce" [senesce]

• To reach later maturity; grow old. (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.

• "In contrast, pronounced increases in both biomass and nutrient mass have been reported in autumn [53], probably as a function of increased input of labile C and nutrients from plants as they senesce, although these data are from mountain and alpine, rather than from arctic soils."
• "Soil-moisture availability: When soil moisture is lacking, plants can begin to senesce (premature ageing, which can result in leaf loss) and transpire less water."
• "This makes senesce because it would increase the standard deviation of the temperature on earth thereby increasing the cooling since heat flux is proportional to the forth power of the temperature."