Kallikak

[ kal-i-kak ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

the fictitious name of an actual family that was the focus of a sociological study: one branch of feeble-minded descendants were mostly social degenerates, while another branch with descendants of normal intelligence were mostly successful.

< Greek kalli- calli- + kak- ( caco- )

Martin Kallikak was a youthful soldier in the Revolutionary War.

If you are really hurt, I will read the Kallikak book; but I must tell you that you are working me to death.

Kallikak family, results of environment rather than heredity shown by, 249.

The studies of the Edwards family on one hand and the so-called Kallikak family on the other, point to the same conclusion.

A few years after returning from the war this same Martin Kallikak married a respectable girl of good family.

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