metagenesis

noun

meta·​gen·​e·​sis ˌme-tə-ˈje-nə-səs How to pronounce metagenesis (audio)
: alternation of generations in animals
especially : regular alternation of a sexual and an asexual generation
metagenetic
ˌme-tə-jə-ˈne-tik How to pronounce metagenesis (audio)
adjective

Word History

Etymology

meta- + genesis, probably after metamorphosis

Note: The term was apparently introduced by the English biologist Richard Owen (1804-92) in On Parthenogenesis, or the Successive Production of Procreating Individuals from a Single Ovum (London, 1849), p. 22

First Known Use

1849, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of metagenesis was in 1849

Dictionary Entries Near metagenesis

metagelatin

metagenesis

metagenic

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Metagenesis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/metagenesis. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

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Medical Definition

metagenesis

noun
meta·​gen·​e·​sis -ˈjen-ə-səs How to pronounce metagenesis (audio)
plural metageneses -ˌsēz How to pronounce metagenesis (audio)
: alternation of generations
especially : regular alternation of a sexual and an asexual generation
metagenetic
-jə-ˈnet-ik How to pronounce metagenesis (audio)
adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on metagenesis

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about metagenesis

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