Ecdysis is the process of shedding or casting off an outer layer, such as skin in reptiles or arthropods. In biology it denotes the moulting cycle during which the old cuticle is replaced by a new one. The term, used chiefly in zoology and entomology, describes the sequential stages of detachment, rupture, and growth of the new covering.
"The lizard underwent ecdysis, leaving behind a loose, discarded skin."
"Researchers tracked the ecdysis cycle to study growth rates in tarantulas."
"The snake’s ecdysis was incomplete, leaving the skin partially attached."
"During metamorphosis, insects coordinate ecdysis with molting hormones."
Ecdysis comes from the Greek ekdysis, from ek- (out) + dyein (to dive or to dive out). The term entered English via biological literature in the 19th century as zoologists described moulting processes across arthropods and reptiles. It consolidates a precise concept: the sequential shedding of the outer integument rather than simple shedding or growth. Over time, the word has specialized into a technical noun in zoology and embryology, used to delineate stages within developmental cycles. In some contexts, “ecdysis” is paired with terms like ecdysone (the steroid hormone that triggers the process) and ecdysteroid signaling pathways, highlighting its foundational role in insect and amphibian growth biology. First known scholarly uses appear in taxonomic and anatomical writings from European naturalists examining arthropod life cycles, later appearing in broader zoological syntheses and modern scholarly articles covering moulting mechanisms across taxa.
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Words that rhyme with "Ecdysis"
-ist sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Say /ɪkˈdaɪ.sɪs/. First syllable is a quick, unstressed /ɪk/, second syllable carries primary stress: /ˈdaɪ/. The final syllable is /sɪs/. In connected speech you’ll hear a slight phonetic blend: /ɪk.daiˈsɪs/. Think: quick ek-DAI-sis. Listen to science-narration examples and practice with slow-enunciated models to anchor the stress on the second syllable.
Common errors: (1) misplacing the primary stress on the first syllable (ec-DY-sis instead of ec-DY-sis? actually the primary stress is on the second syllable: /ɪkˈdaɪ.sɪs/). (2) Deleting the middle vowel and saying /ˈiːdaɪ.sɪs/ or /ɪkˈdɪ.sɪs/. (3) Slurring the final /sɪs/ into /zɪz/ or making the second syllable’s /daɪ/ too short. Corrections: emphasize /ˈdaɪ/; enunciate /sɪs/ clearly; keep the first syllable short /ɪk/.
In US/UK/AU, the core is /ɪkˈdaɪ.sɪs/. US and UK share rhoticity absence/presence doesn’t affect this word much because there’s no rhotic vowel here; AU tends to slightly reduce unstressed vowels. The main differences involve vowel length and diphthong clarity in /daɪ/; speakers may gloss /ɪk/ as a clipped vowel or broaden /daɪ/ slightly in rapid speech. Across accents, the primary stress remains on the second syllable with clear final /sɪs/.
Key challenges: a) the uncommon root with Greek origin combines /ɪk/ + /ˈdaɪ/ with a tricky second syllable onset; b) ensuring primary stress on the second syllable while keeping the first syllable clipped; c) crisp final /sɪs/ without vocalizing into /z/ or devoicing. Break it into segments, practice the clashing consonants /k/ and /dʒ/? not here; rather /k/ + /d/ adjacency and a clean /s/ at the end. IPA guidance helps lock the exact mouth positions.
Is there a known alternative pronunciation with a long vowel in the first syllable? The standard is a short /ɪ/ in the first syllable and a stressed /daɪ/ in the second; some older texts may occasionally render a slightly elongated first vowel in careful speech, but that is nonstandard. For most speakers, adhere to /ɪkˈdaɪ.sɪs/ with primary stress on the second syllable and a crisp final /sɪs/.
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