Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web
Related Searches
Nearby Words

preformation

 - 3 dictionary results

pre⋅for⋅ma⋅tion

  [pree-fawr-mey-shuhn]
Use preformation in a Sentence
–noun
1. previous formation.
2. Biology. (formerly) the theory that the individual, with all its parts, preexists in the germ cell and grows from microscopic to normal proportions during embryogenesis (opposed to epigenesis ).
Origin:
1725–35; pre- + formation

Related forms:
pre⋅for⋅ma⋅tion⋅ar⋅y, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To preformation
pre·for·ma·tion   (prē'fôr-mā'shən)   
n.  

  1. The act of shaping or forming in advance; prior formation.

  2. A theory popular in the 18th century that all parts of an organism exist completely formed in the germ cell and develop only by increasing in size.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: pre·for·ma·tion
Pronunciation: "prE-for-'mA-sh&n
Function: noun
: a now discredited theory in biology that every germcell contains the organism of its kind fully formed and complete in all its parts and that development involves merely an increase in size from microscopic proportions to those of the adult—compare EPIGENESIS —pre·for·ma·tion·ist /-sh&-n&st/ noun or adjective
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see preformation on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us:
Partner Sites:
Ask AnswersEviteExpediaHotelsHotwireLife123LiveDailyMy Way