spontaneous generation

noun

, Biology.

a theory, widely held in the 19th century and earlier but now discredited, stating that living organisms could arise directly and rapidly from nonliving material Also calledabiogenesis

spontaneous generation

The supposed development of living organisms from nonliving matter, as maggots from rotting meat. The theory of spontaneous generation for larger organisms was easily shown to be false, but the theory was not fully discredited until the mid-19th century with the demonstration of the existence and reproduction of microorganisms, most notably by Louis Pasteur.
Also called abiogenesis

First recorded in 1650–60

How does spontaneous generation compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

Abiogenesis, ab-i-o-jen′es-is, n. the origination of living by not-living matter, spontaneous generation.

I submit the phenomenon of their strange origin to the scientific world as an instance of spontaneous generation.

For instance, one of his works contains a rather famous prescription to bring about the spontaneous generation of mice.

On that account I doubt if spontaneous generation takes place in our time.

The old idea of spontaneous generation is now taken in many different senses.

April 18, 2024petrichor

[pet-ri-kawr]

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