any of various plant hormones, such as indoleacetic acid, that promote growth and control fruit and flower development. Synthetic auxins are widely used in agriculture and horticulture
Word origin
C20: from Greek auxein to grow
auxin in American English
(ˈɔksɪn)
noun
a plant hormone, esp. indoleacetic acid, produced in the fruits, seeds, leaves, orstem tips, to promote longitudinal growth and to control bud growth, root formation, leaf abscission, etc.: also produced synthetically