Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “senescent” come from?

Senescent comes from Latin senescens, present participle of senescere meaning "to grow old," derived from senex meaning "old" and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European sénos with the same sense.

senescent (English): Growing old; decaying with the lapse of time;...

Definitions

  1. Growing old; decaying with the lapse of time;...

Ancestry of “senescent”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinsenescensageing; decaying, declining etc; waning
2Latinsenescerepresent active infinitive of senēscō; to grow old
3Latinsenereto be old
4Latinsenexold, aged, elderly; old person, old man, old...
5Proto-Indo-Europeansénosold

Words derived from “senescent”

  • presenescent
  • immunosenescent
  • prosenescent
Every word from Proto-Indo-European sénos →