Meanings
- uncountablespeculative evolutionThe evolution of a creature with multiple pairs of legs evolving to give rise to a descendant where the frontmost pair of legs is raised from the ground, no longer being used in locomotion and freeing them up for other activities.
1 more example
While thinking about the concept of freeing a frontal pair of legs from locomotion, it struck me that I was unaware of a name for this evolutionary trick. This event has occurred on Earth quite a few times on Earth, but does not seem to have a name. If there is indeed no name for it (and please tell me if I am wrong!) one must be invented: let's call it 'centaurism'.
2009 February 8, Gert van Dijk, “The goumoun, or 'Centaurism I'”, in Furahan Biology and Allied Matters
Origin
From centaur + -ism, due to centaurs having two limbs (their arms) in the front raised from the ground not used for locomotion.
Full word history & related roots →Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
centaurism. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/centaurism
“centaurism.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/centaurism. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “centaurism,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/centaurism.
Source: centaurism on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.