Dehiscence (from the Latin dehisco, meaning to gape, yawn, or split open) can refer to: Dehiscence (botany), the spontaneous opening at maturity of a plant structure, such as a fruit, anther, or sporangium, to release its contents Wound dehiscence, a previously closed wound reopening Superior canal dehiscence, in which a new window opens up in the labyrinth of the inner ear, resulting in a form of vertigo Autothysis, a usually fatal, voluntary dehiscence used as a form of defense by ants, termites and other animals. Killian's dehiscence, a triangular area in the wall of the pharynx