“Caducous” is a botany term that derives from the Latin “caducus,” meaning “liable to fall.” It would be easy to think that “caducous” and “deciduous” are synonyms because both refer to plants shedding parts of themselves, but a closer look at their definitions proves otherwise. “Caducous” refers to something on a plant or creature that is easily shed at an early stage of development; “deciduous” describes a tree or shrub that sheds its leaves annually.