autoicous
|au-toi-cous|
/ɔːˈtɔɪkəs/
same individual, sexes separated
Etymology
'autoicous' originates from New Latin/Modern Latin, ultimately from Greek 'autos' meaning 'self' and 'oikos' meaning 'house', combined in a Latinized adjectival form (the suffix -oicous relating to 'house' or 'dwelling').
'autoicous' was coined in botanical usage (Late 19th to early 20th century) from Greek elements 'autos' + 'oikos' via a Latinized form (e.g. New Latin autoicus), and entered English as a technical descriptive term in bryology and botany.
Initially it carried the literal element sense of 'self-house' (having both sexes in one 'house' or individual); it has remained a technical term meaning 'same individual with separate male and female organs' with little semantic shift.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
(botany, especially bryology) Having male and female reproductive organs on the same individual but on separate branches or in separate structures; same plant bearing both sexes but spatially separated.
Many moss species are autoicous, bearing antheridia and archegonia on the same plant but on different shoots or branches.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/11/26 01:30