Definition

Noun: A plant hormone that is a crystalline acid, belonging to the gibberellin group, which promotes processes like stem elongation, seed germination, and fruit development.

Usage

Gibberellic acid is used as a specific term in botany, horticulture, and agriculture. It refers to the particular chemical compound, often abbreviated as GA, that is applied to influence plant growth.

Examples

• The researchers applied gibberellic acid to the dwarf pea plants to stimulate their growth.
• Gibberellic acid treatment can break seed dormancy in many species.
• The production of seedless grapes is often aided by the use of gibberellic acid.

Advanced Usage

• Technical Context: In scientific literature, it is frequently referred to by its abbreviation, GA, or more specifically as GA₃, which denotes the most common and biologically active form of gibberellic acid.
  • The study measured the endogenous levels of GA₃ in the developing stems.

Variants and Related Words

• Gibberellin (noun): The broader class of related plant hormones to which gibberellic acid belongs.
  • Several different gibberellins have been identified in plants.
• Gibberellin A₃ (noun): A formal synonym for gibberellic acid.

Synonyms

• Plant growth regulator
• Phytohormone (in the specific context of its function)

Notes

Gibberellic acid is not typically used in idioms or phrasal verbs due to its highly specific, technical nature.

Noun

1. a crystalline acid associated with gibberellin