skototropism
|skot-o-trop-ism|
🇺🇸
/skoʊtəˈtroʊpɪzəm/
🇬🇧
/skɒtəˈtrəʊpɪzəm/
turn toward darkness
Etymology
'skototropism' originates from Greek, specifically the elements 'skotos' and 'tropos' and the Modern scientific suffix '-ism', where 'skotos' meant 'darkness' and 'tropos' meant 'turn' or 'direction'.
'skototropism' is a modern scientific coinage formed in English from Greek roots ('skoto-' + 'tropism') via Neo-Latin/scientific formation practices in the 19th–20th century; it arose analogously to terms like 'phototropism' and 'geotropism'.
Initially, the composite term referred specifically to 'turning toward darkness'; over time it has retained that specialist meaning in botanical and biological contexts.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the growth or movement of an organism, especially a plant, toward darkness or shaded areas (i.e., movement toward a dark stimulus). Often observed in climbing plants that grow toward the shaded trunks of trees to find support.
Skototropism helps some vines locate and climb tree trunks by growing toward darker, shaded areas.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/10/16 05:12