neotenous

ne·ot·e·ny

N n

Transcription

- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- [nee-ot-n-ee]
- /niˈɒt n i/

- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- [nee-ot-n-ee]
- /niˈɒt n i/

Definitions of neotenous word

noun neotenous Also called pedogenesis. the production of offspring by an organism in its larval or juvenile form; the elimination of the adult phase of the life cycle. 1
noun neotenous a slowing of the rate of development with the consequent retention in adulthood of a feature or features that appeared in an earlier phase in the life cycle of ancestral individuals: Neoteny in the ostrich has resulted in adult birds sporting the down feathers of nestlings. 1
noun neotenous Exhibiting retention of juvenile characteristics in the adult. 1

See all 3 definitions of neotenous

Information block about the term

Origin of neotenous

First appearance:

before 1900

One of the 17% newest English words

1900-05; < New Latin neotēnia < Greek neo- neo- + teín(ein) to stretch + -ia -y3

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for Neotenous

noun

adjective

verb

adverb

pronoun

preposition

conjunction

determiner

exclamation

Full grammatical hierarchy of Neotenous

neotenous popularity

A pretty common term. Usually people know it’s meaning, but prefer to use a more spread out synonym. About 66% of English native speakers know the meaning and use word.

According to our data about 67% of words is more used. This is a rare but used term. It occurs in the pages of specialized literature and in the speech of educated people.

neotenous usage trend in Literature

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