n]
| 1. | the entire body of individuals born and living at about the same time: the postwar generation. |
| 2. | the term of years, roughly 30 among human beings, accepted as the average period between the birth of parents and the birth of their offspring. |
| 3. | a group of individuals, most of whom are the same approximate age, having similar ideas, problems, attitudes, etc. Compare Beat Generation, Lost Generation. |
| 4. | a group of individuals belonging to a specific category at the same time: Chaplin belonged to the generation of silent-screen stars. |
| 5. | a single step in natural descent, as of human beings, animals, or plants. |
| 6. | a form, type, class, etc., of objects existing at the same time and having many similarities or developed from a common model or ancestor: a new generation of computers. |
| 7. | the offspring of a certain parent or couple, considered as a step in natural descent. |
| 8. | the act or process of generating; procreation. |
| 9. | the state of being generated. |
| 10. | production by natural or artificial processes; evolution, as of heat or sound. |
| 11. | Biology.
|
| 12. | Mathematics. the production of a geometrical figure by the motion of another figure. |
| 13. | Physics. one of the successive sets of nuclei produced in a chain reaction. |
| 14. | (in duplicating processes, as photocopying, film, etc.) the distance in duplicating steps that a copy is from the original work. |
generation gen·er·a·tion (jěn'ə-rā'shən)
n.
A form or stage in the life cycle of an organism.
All of the offspring that are at the same stage of descent from a common ancestor.
The average interval of time between the birth of parents and the birth of their offspring.
A group of individuals born and living about the same time.
A group of generally contemporaneous individuals regarded as having common cultural or social characteristics and attitudes.
The act or process of generating; origination, production, or procreation.
generation
An attempt to classify the degree of sophistication of programming languages.
See First generation language -- Fifth generation language.
(1995-06-15)
Generation
Gen. 2:4, "These are the generations," means the "history." 5:1, "The book of the generations," means a family register, or history of Adam. 37:2, "The generations of Jacob" = the history of Jacob and his descendants. 7:1, "In this generation" = in this age. Ps. 49:19, "The generation of his fathers" = the dwelling of his fathers, i.e., the grave. Ps. 73:15, "The generation of thy children" = the contemporary race. Isa. 53:8, "Who shall declare his generation?" = His manner of life who shall declare? or rather = His race, posterity, shall be so numerous that no one shall be able to declare it. In Matt. 1:17, the word means a succession or series of persons from the same stock. Matt. 3:7, "Generation of vipers" = brood of vipers. 24:34, "This generation" = the persons then living contemporary with Christ. 1 Pet. 2:9, "A chosen generation" = a chosen people. The Hebrews seem to have reckoned time by the generation. In the time of Abraham a generation was an hundred years, thus: Gen. 15:16, "In the fourth generation" = in four hundred years (comp. verse 13 and Ex. 12:40). In Deut. 1:35 and 2:14 a generation is a period of thirty-eight years.