Definitions
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun The character or state of being marcescent.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun botany
Retention (by a plant) of dead organs (such as leaves) that normally areshed .
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
Ultimately from Latin marcēscō ("I wither").
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Examples
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solitude_stands commented on the word marcescence
"Because we'd had a mild and wet autumn, there was more woodland marcescense sic than usual, and those dead leaves hung stark white on the branches like albino bats, unmoving in the still air."
Winter by Val McDermid
March 1, 2026