Caducous

Caducous is an adjective that means easily detached and shed. The Latin word caducus (cah DOO coos) means ‘liable to fall.’ Our word of the day entered the English language in the late 17th century with a meaning related mostly to botany. Here’s an example: It’s lovely to watch these plants bud at this time of year, especially to see the buds fall away. This kind of caducous act fascinates me as much as it does botanists.