phototropism
noun
Examples of phototropism in a Sentence
Quanta Magazine, 31 Jan. 2024
That 50-50 split makes more sense than Gagliano’s result, says Mannie Liscum, a University of Missouri expert on plant phototropism — the way plants grow toward light.
—Anna Funk, Discover Magazine, 28 Aug. 2019
The reason for their odd behavior is likely something common to all plants: phototropism.
—Nathaniel Scharping, Discover Magazine, 6 June 2017
If the tree has grown at a slant all its life, it’s probably because of phototropism, Brosius says.
—Samantha Chery, Washington Post, 2 Aug. 2022
The leaning effect could be a result of phototropism, where plants naturally position themselves toward sunlight.
—Samantha Chery, Washington Post, 2 Aug. 2022
The fungus grows toward the hottest and most radioactive places, like phototropism but for deadly toxins.
—Caroline Delbert, Popular Mechanics, 6 Feb. 2020
The new polymer, described in a paper in the journal Nature Nanotechnology, is capable of phototropism, or the ability to follow the sun in its daily journey across the sky.
—Jason Daley, Smithsonian, 7 Nov. 2019
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'phototropism.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
International Scientific Vocabulary
1899, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near phototropism
Cite this Entry
“Phototropism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/phototropism. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
phototropism
noun
Medical Definition
phototropism
noun
ˌfōt-ō-ˈtrō-ˌpiz-əm
More from Merriam-Webster on phototropism
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about phototropism
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