heliotropism en · NOUN
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *sóh₂wl̥ Proto-Indo-European *sh₂wél(i)yos Proto-Hellenic *hāwélios Ancient Greek ἥλῐος (hḗlĭos) English helio- English -tropism English heliotropism From helio- + -tropism.
Meanings
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(countable, uncountable) The property of some plants of turning under the influence of light; either positively (towards the light) or negatively (away from the light).
As soon as the faintest ray of light reaches a seedling, heliotropism will guide it through any crack in the soil, or through an entangled mass of overlying vegetation; […]
1880 November 6, Charles Darwin, Francis Darwin, chapter XII, in The Power of Movement in Plants, page 555:A field of young sunflowers will slowly rotate from east to west during the course of a sunny day, each leaf seeking out as much sunlight as possible as the sun moves across the sky through an adaptation called heliotropism.
2012, Staff (University of Wisconsin-Madison), Sunflowers inspire more efficient solar power system, R&D Magazine, online
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| heliotropisms | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Coordinates
paraheliotropism · heliophilia · heliophobia
Deriveds
Relateds
heliotropic · heliotrope · paraheliotropic
Translations (8)
it eliotropismo (motion of plants under light) · ga héileatrópacht (motion of plants under light) · ru гелиотропи́зм (motion of plants under light) · es heliotropismo (motion of plants under light) · pt heliotropismo (motion of plants under light) · fr héliotropisme (motion of plants under light) · pl heliotropizm (motion of plants under light) · ka ჰელიოტროპიზმი (motion of plants under light)