adventitious
adjective/ˌædvənˈtɪʃəs/
Frequency rank: #19,739 most common English word
Meaning
arising from an external or unexpected source; occurring in an unusual or unexpected place.

Example sentence
The scientist noted that the plant had developed adventitious roots along its stem after being exposed to excess moisture.
Synonyms & related words
Practice this word in the quiz
More words in ranks 19,701–19,800
- meningesThe three layered membranes (dura mater, arachnoid mater, and pia mater) that envelop the brain and spinal cord.
- perfectiveRelating to a grammatical aspect that expresses an action as completed or viewed as a whole.
- straightnessthe quality or condition of being straight, without bends or curves.
- uracilA pyrimidine base found in RNA but not DNA, pairing with adenine.
- zealotryExcessive or fanatical devotion to a cause or belief.
- edifyto instruct or improve someone morally or intellectually
- ileumThe final and longest section of the small intestine, connecting to the large intestine.
- stragglera person who falls behind or arrives later than the rest of a group.
- abridgeto shorten a text by condensing it while keeping the main content.
- asymptotea line that a curve approaches arbitrarily closely but never reaches.