The Collaborative International Dictionary
Sensitive \Sen"si*tive\, a. [F. sensitif. See Sense.]
Having sense of feeling; possessing or exhibiting the capacity of receiving impressions from external objects; as, a sensitive soul.
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Having quick and acute sensibility, either to the action of external objects, or to impressions upon the mind and feelings; highly susceptible; easily and acutely affected.
She was too sensitive to abuse and calumny.
--Macaulay. (Mech.) Having a capacity of being easily affected or moved; as, a sensitive thermometer; sensitive scales.
(Chem. & Photog.) Readily affected or changed by certain appropriate agents; as, silver chloride or bromide, when in contact with certain organic substances, is extremely sensitive to actinic rays.
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Serving to affect the sense; sensible. [R.]
A sensitive love of some sensitive objects.
--Hammond. -
Of or pertaining to sensation; depending on sensation; as, sensitive motions; sensitive muscular motions excited by irritation. --E. Darwin. Sensitive fern (Bot.), an American fern ( Onoclea sensibilis), the leaves of which, when plucked, show a slight tendency to fold together. Sensitive flame (Physics), a gas flame so arranged that under a suitable adjustment of pressure it is exceedingly sensitive to sounds, being caused to roar, flare, or become suddenly shortened or extinguished, by slight sounds of the proper pitch. Sensitive joint vetch (Bot.), an annual leguminous herb ( [AE]schynomene hispida), with sensitive foliage. Sensitive paper, paper prepared for photographic purpose by being rendered sensitive to the effect of light. Sensitive plant. (Bot.)
A leguminous plant ( Mimosa pudica, or M. sensitiva, and other allied species), the leaves of which close at the slightest touch.
Any plant showing motions after irritation, as the sensitive brier ( Schrankia) of the Southern States, two common American species of Cassia ( C. nictitans, and C. Cham[ae]crista), a kind of sorrel ( Oxalis sensitiva), etc. [1913 Webster] -- Sen"si*tive*ly, adv. -- Sen"si*tive*ness, n.
WordNet
n. prostrate or semi-erect subshrub of tropical America, and Australia; heavily armed with recurved thorns and having sensitive soft gray-green leaflets that fold and droop at night or when touched or cooled [syn: touch-me-not, shame plant, live-and-die, humble plant, action plant, Mimosa pudica]
semi-climbing prickly evergreen shrub of tropical America having compound leaves sensitive to light and touch [syn: Mimosa sensitiva]
Usage examples of "sensitive plant".
I felt the response to it-a clamshell snapping rigidly shut, a sensitive plant closing its leaves.
Cassia nictitans, or Wild Sensitive Plant, is used for certain forms of rheumatism.
The mere act of his passing had set some sensitive plant to register his presence.
Our temperament is nervous we are a sensitive plant, and want care.
He treated Bradshaw with noisy deference, as if Bradshaw was a sensitive plant of undetermined value but some importance.
Only a hint of evil, only an hour's debasement for him, a moment's glimpse for her of the coarser pleasures men know, and the innocent heart, just opening to bless and to be blessed, closed again like a sensitive plant and shut him out perhaps forever.
Something in them made me wither like a sensitive plant left out too long in the sun.