baɪ noun Biology.
the now discredited theory that living organisms can arise spontaneously from inanimate matter; spontaneous generation.
Related forms
a·bi·o·ge·net·i·cal·ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To abiogenesis
00:10
Abiogenesis
has a plethora of syllables.
So is antidisestablishmentarianism. Does it mean:
| an obscure term ostensibly referring to a lung disease caused by silica dust, sometimes cited as one of the longest words in the English language. |
| opposition to the withdrawal of state support or recognition from an established church, esp. the Anglican Church in 19th-century England. |
Collins
World English Dictionary
abiogenesis (ˌeɪbaɪəʊˈdʒɛnɪsɪs) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | Also called: autogenesis the hypothetical process by which living organisms first arose on earth from nonliving matter |
| 2. | another name for spontaneous generation Compare biogenesis |
| [C19: New Latin, from | |
| abioge'netic | |
| —adj | |
| abiogenist | |
| —n | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
abiogenesis  (ā'bī-ō-jěn'ĭ-sĭs) Pronunciation Key
See spontaneous generation. |
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia
abiogenesis
the hypothetical process by which living organisms develop from nonliving matter; also, the archaic theory that utilizes this process to explain the origin of life. Pieces of cheese and bread wrapped in rags and left in a dark corner, for example, were thus thought to produce mice, according to this theory, because after several weeks, there were mice in the rags. Many believed in spontaneous generation because it explained such occurrences as the appearance of maggots on decaying meat.
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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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