caducous

9.9

To fall off early, like leaves or gills on young plants and animals

adjective
/kəˈdjuːkəs/

Specialized

: caducifolio

The flowers of this tree have a caducous calyx that drops soon after blooming.

Examples

Some plants have caducous leaves that fall off while the plant is still young.
Most amphibians possess caducous gills that disappear as they mature.
The leaves are caducous.
This flower is caducous!
Most amphibians possess caducous gills that disappear as they mature.
Some plants have caducous leaves that fall off while the plant is still young.
The flowers of this tree have a caducous calyx that drops soon after blooming.

Antonyms

persistent

Specialized

1 7.5

Staying attached to a plant or mushroom part after it normally falls off

Surface Forms

caducous positive

Morphology

caducous = caduc + ous

The root 'caduc-' is a Latin combining form not a standalone English word, so learners cannot reliably infer the meaning from familiar English components.

Etymology

The word caducous comes from the Latin verb cadere, which means 'to fall', and is like deciduous, a word for trees that lose their leaves. So caducous describes a part that 'falls off early', such as leaves, gills, or the cup of a flower that drops when the plant or animal is still young.