Deciduate

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Having parts such as leaves, antlers, or teeth that shed or fall away periodically
2. Characterized by the shedding or loss of certain structures that are naturally cast off at specific times
3. Possessing structures that drop off seasonally or at particular stages of development

Etymology: "Deciduate" is a plain formation: it takes "decidua", the Latin-derived term for something that falls off or is shed, and adds the adjective-forming suffix "-ate", meaning "having" or "characterized by." Something deciduate is therefore one that has the quality of being shed periodically, such as a deciduous tree that loses its leaves each year. The same base also gives rise to the noun "decidua," which is the name for the lining of the uterus shed after pregnancy. Biologists and zoologists use "deciduate" in a related technical sense for mammals whose placenta is shed at birth, a usage that depends on that anatomical meaning.

Synonyms: deciduous

Antonyms: evergreen, persistent