dehisce

verb

de·​hisce di-ˈhis How to pronounce dehisce (audio)
dehisced; dehiscing

intransitive verb

: to split along a natural line
also : to discharge contents by so splitting
seedpods dehiscing at maturity

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin dēhīscere "to split open, yawn, gape," from dē- de- + hīscere "to begin to open, gape," inchoative derivative of hiāre "to be wide open, gape, have the mouth wide open" — more at yawn entry 1

First Known Use

1657, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of dehisce was in 1657

Dictionary Entries Near dehisce

dehire

dehisce

dehiscence

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Dehisce.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dehisce. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

Medical Definition

dehisce

intransitive verb
de·​hisce di-ˈhis How to pronounce dehisce (audio)
dehisced; dehiscing
: to undergo dehiscence
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

9 Superb Owl Words

15 Words That Used to Mean Something Different
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
little chihuahua dressing like a turkey for thanksgiving
Is That Gratitude or Attitude? A Thanksgiving Quiz Decide which words express gratitude and which gi...