Allelopathy
/ˌæl.əˈlɒp.ə.θi/noun
The chemical inhibition of one plant by another, or of microorganisms by a plant, through released substances.
Did you know?The word is built from Greek roots meaning “mutual” and “suffering,” so the science literally names plant competition as shared pain.
Etymological Timeline
Greek roots
Greek
allēl- + -pathēia
““mutual” + “suffering/feeling””
1930s
English
allelopathy
“A term coined in modern scientific usage for biochemical interactions between plants”
Modern English
English
allelopathy
“The chemical inhibition or influence of one organism on another”
Ancient Greek
Greek
allēlos
“one another, mutual”
Ancient Greek
Greek
pathos
“suffering, feeling, experience”