abscission

2 definitions found

abscission - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Abscission \Ab*scis"sion\, n. [L. abscissio. See Abscind.]
     1. The act or process of cutting off. "Not to be cured
        without the abscission of a member." --Jer. Taylor.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. The state of being cut off. --Sir T. Browne.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. (Rhet.) A figure of speech employed when a speaker having
        begun to say a thing stops abruptly: thus, "He is a man of
        so much honor and candor, and of such generosity -- but I
        need say no more."
        [1913 Webster]

abscission - WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005) :

  abscission
      n 1: shedding of flowers and leaves and fruit following
           formation of scar tissue in a plant
      2: the act of cutting something off [syn: abscission, cutting   off
         ]