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sensitive plant
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English Dictionary: sensitive plant by the DICT Development Group
2 results for sensitive plant
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
sensitive plant
n
  1. prostrate or semi-erect subshrub of tropical America, and Australia; heavily armed with recurved thorns and having sensitive soft grey-green leaflets that fold and droop at night or when touched or cooled
    Synonym(s): sensitive plant, touch-me-not, shame plant, live-and-die, humble plant, action plant, Mimosa pudica
  2. semi-climbing prickly evergreen shrub of tropical America having compound leaves sensitive to light and touch
    Synonym(s): sensitive plant, Mimosa sensitiva
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
   Sensitive \Sen"si*tive\, a. [F. sensitif. See {Sense}.]
      1. Having sense of feeling; possessing or exhibiting the
            capacity of receiving impressions from external objects;
            as, a sensitive soul.
  
      2. Having quick and acute sensibility, either to the action
            of external objects, or to impressions upon the mind and
            feelings; highly susceptible; easily and acutely affected.
  
                     She was too sensitive to abuse and calumny.
                                                                              --Macaulay.
  
      3.
            (a) (Mech.) Having a capacity of being easily affected or
                  moved; as, a sensitive thermometer; sensitive scales.
            (b) (Chem. & Photog.) Readily affected or changed by
                  certain appropriate agents; as, silver chloride or
                  bromide, when in contact with certain organic
                  substances, is extremely sensitive to actinic rays.
  
      4. Serving to affect the sense; sensible. [R.]
  
                     A sensitive love of some sensitive objects.
                                                                              --Hammond.
  
      5. Of or pertaining to sensation; depending on sensation; as,
            sensitive motions; sensitive muscular motions excited by
            irritation. --E. Darwin.
  
      {Sensitive fern} (Bot.), an American fern ({Onoclea
            sensibilis}), the leaves of which, when plucked, show a
            slight tendency to fold together.
  
      {Sensitive flame} (Physics), a gas flame so arranged that
            under a suitable adjustment of pressure it is exceedingly
            sensitive to sounds, being caused to roar, flare, or
            become suddenly shortened or extinguished, by slight
            sounds of the proper pitch.
  
      {Sensitive joint vetch} (Bot.), an annual leguminous herb
            ({[92]schynomene hispida}), with sensitive foliage.
  
      {Sensitive paper}, paper prepared for photographic purpose by
            being rendered sensitive to the effect of light.
  
      {Sensitive plant}. (Bot.)
            (a) A leguminous plant ({Mimosa pudica}, or {M.
                  sensitiva}, and other allied species), the leaves of
                  which close at the slightest touch.
            (b) Any plant showing motions after irritation, as the
                  sensitive brier ({Schrankia}) of the Southern States,
                  two common American species of Cassia ({C. nictitans},
                  and {C. Cham[91]crista}), a kind of sorrel ({Oxalis
                  sensitiva}), etc.
No guarantee of accuracy or completeness!
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