abscission

Pronunciation key ( ab-sizh′ən ) ( ab-sish′ən )

ab•scis•sion

n.

[L. abscissio see ABSCISSA].

1. A cutting off such as by surgery.
2. Abrupt stop, such as in mid-sentence for rhetorical effect.
3. The dropping of leaves, flowers, fruit or other parts of the plant normally following the formation of an abscission zone.

References

Biology of Plants, Fourth Edition, Worth Publishers Inc., Stanford University, Peter H. Raven and Helena Curtis, ©1971

Webster's New World Dictionary of the American Language (College Edition) ©1955