indoleacetic acid
- noun
- /ˌɪn.doʊ.ˌliː.əˈseɪ.tɪk ˈæs.ɪd/
- Specialized
- Many commercial rooting powders contain indoleacetic acid to encourage root formation in cuttings.
Examples
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The production of indoleacetic acid is crucial for normal development of leaves and stems in plants.
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Researchers measured the levels of indoleacetic acid in the seedlings to determine its effect on growth.
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Plants produce indoleacetic acid to stimulate growth.
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The role of indoleacetic acid in plant development is crucial.
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Many commercial rooting powders contain indoleacetic acid to encourage root formation in cuttings.
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Researchers measured the levels of indoleacetic acid in the seedlings to determine its effect on growth.
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The production of indoleacetic acid is crucial for normal development of leaves and stems in plants.
Synonyms
1
9.3
A plant chemical that makes cells grow and forms roots and buds
1
8.7
A plant hormone that makes stems and roots grow longer
Surface Forms
Morphology
indoleacetic + acid
The string 'indoleacetic' is a technical chemical element that a B1 learner would not recognize or analytically decompose, and knowing 'acid' only signals a chemical substance; the specific meaning 'a plant hormone that promotes stem and root elongation' is specialized and cannot be derived from the constituent parts. Because the term is technical and non-compositional for average learners, its meaning is opaque to someone who merely knows the individual words.
Etymology
Indoleacetic acid gets its name from two parts: indole, a small ring-shaped part found in plant chemicals, and acetic acid, a simple acid. The long name tells you what the chemical is and helps you remember it is a 'plant hormone' that helps stems and roots grow.