diœciousadj.
/dʌɪˈiːʃ(ɪ)əs/ 1. Botany. Of plants: Having the unisexual male and female flowers on separate plants.
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1751 J. Hill Gen. Nat. Hist. II. 291 (Jodr.) The rhamnus with terminatory spikes and quadrified diœcious flowers.
a1793 G. White Observ. Veg. in Nat. Hist. Selborne (1802) II. 254 Hops are diécious plants.
1877 C. Darwin Different Forms Flowers Introd. 3 A species tending to become diœcious, with the stamens reduced in some individuals and with the pistils in others.
2. Zoology. Having the two sexes in separate individuals; sexually distinct.
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1826 W. Kirby & W. Spence Introd. Entomol. (1828) IV. xlvii. 394 Certain intestinal worms in which the sexes are diœcious.
1880 A. Günther Introd. Study of Fishes 157 All fishes are diœcious, or of distinct sex.
1882 A. Macfarlane Consanguinity 8 Sex in Man is diœcious.
Derivatives
diˈœciously adv. in a diœcious manner.
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1859 C. Darwin Origin of Species (1873) iv. 74 Some..species of holly in North America, are, according to Asa Gray..more or less diœciously polygamous.
diˈœciousness n. diœcious state or condition.
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1874 F. A. Kitchener Year's Bot. vii. 118 This idea of benefit to the plant in diœciousness.
1877 C. Darwin Different Forms Flowers vii. 279 Otherwise every step towards diœciousness would lead towards sterility.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1896; most recently modified version published online June 2018).
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adj.1751