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ses·sile

(sĕsīl′, -əl) Biology

adj.

1. Permanently attached or fixed; not free-moving: sessile marine invertebrates.

2. Stalkless and attached directly at the base: sessile leaves.

[Latin sessilis, low, of sitting, from sessus, past participle of sedēre, to sit; see sed- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

ses·sili·ty (sĕ-sĭlĭ-tē) n.

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sessile

sessile leaf

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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