caespitose

adjective

caes·pi·tose ˈse-spə-ˌtōs

: growing in clusters or tufts

: forming a dense turf

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin caespitōsus, cēspitōsus, from Latin caespit-, caespes "piece of turf cut from the ground, grass-covered ground, earth" (of obscure origin) + -ōsus -ose entry 1

Note: Latin caespes has been compared with caedere, past participle caesus "to strike, beat, kill" (see concise), which has secondary senses (or primary senses?) such as "cut down," "divide into sections," though the -p- cannot be easily accounted for. The word has also been compared to Oscan kaispatar, the meaning of which is unknown; for attempts at an etymology see literature cited in J. Untermann, Wörterbuch des Oskisch-Umbrischen (Heidelberg, 2000), p. 364.

First Known Use

1796, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of caespitose was in 1796

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