Meaning & use
dehisce
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Meanings
verbintransitivebiologytechnical
To split open along a natural line, as a seed pod or fruit does when ripe, so that the contents are released.
Grammar: No object: the pods dehisce when dry.
Patterns
- something dehisces
The seed pods dehisce in late summer and scatter their seeds.
When the fruit is ripe, the capsule dehisces along four seams.
Anthers dehisce to release pollen.
verbintransitivemedicaltechnical
To burst open along a line of stitches, as a surgical wound can do after an operation.
Grammar: No object; used in medical writing: the incision dehisced.
Patterns
- a wound dehisces
The surgeon warned that the wound might dehisce if the patient lifted heavy objects.
After the operation, the incision dehisced and had to be re-stitched.
Word forms
| third person singular | dehisces |
|---|---|
| past tense | dehisced |
| past participle | dehisced |
| -ing form | dehiscing |
Common combinations
- wound dehisces
- If the wound dehisces, call your doctor at once.
- pods dehisce
- The lupin pods dehisce with a snap in dry weather.
- dehisce along
- The capsule dehisces along its seams.
- dehisce to release
- The anthers dehisce to release pollen.
Synonyms and how they differ
- split open
- Split open is the plain way to describe any bursting along a line, whereas dehisce is the precise technical term for plants and wounds.
- burst
- Burst suggests sudden explosive breaking in any direction, while dehisce is about opening along a line.
- rupture
- Rupture usually means a tearing of a tissue or container, whereas dehisce suggests a seam or suture coming apart.
- gape
- Gape describes something remaining wide open, while dehisce describes the act of coming open.
Opposites
Word family
- dehiscence noun
- the splitting open of a pod, fruit or surgical wound
- dehiscent adjective
- opening along a seam, as a ripe seed pod does
- indehiscent adjective
- not opening naturally when ripe
Commonly confused: dehisce or dehydrate?
dehisce vs dehydrate
Dehydrate means to lose or remove water. It sounds a little like dehisce but has nothing to do with splitting open.
Practice
When the seed capsules ripen and dry out, they ___ along their seams and scatter the seeds.
Choose one answer.
Dehisce means to split open along a natural line to release contents. Dehydrate means to lose water, which is part of drying but does not describe splitting open.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “dehisce”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.