diergism

D2I1E1R1G2I1S1M3

noun

The existence, in a single species, of two distinct ways of a structure or organ functioning.

Scrabble 12

Meanings

noundiergism (uncountable)
  1. uncountablebiologyThe existence, in a single species, of two distinct ways of a structure or organ functioning.

    Similarly‚ there is sexual diergism of GH secretion between men and women indicating phylogenetic conservation of neuroendocrine hormone rhythms.

    2004, Malcolm J. Low, Marcelo Rubinstein, Veronica Otero-Corchon, “Altered patterns of growth hormone secretion in somatostatin knockout mice”, in Somatostatin, →ISBN
    2 more examples

    Feeding diergism is not unprecedented in snakes (Zinner 1984, Tsairi & BOuskILa 2004) and, especially in view of the FMR in size, could conceivably occur and cause broader black rings in female Micrelaps muelleri.

    2006, Zoology in the Middle East - Volumes 37-39, page 44

    In conclusion, the MeAV shows functional diergism, due to plastic changes in the female rat brain probably linked to the increase of estradiol during estrous.

    2007, Beatriz Carrilloa, Helena Pinosa, Antonio Guillamóna, GianCarlo Panzicab, Paloma Colladoa, “Morphometrical and neurochemical changes in the anteroventral subdivision of the rat medial amygdala during estrous cycle”, in Brain research, volume 1150

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekἔργον“work”
  2. Ancient Greekδίς“twice”
  3. Englishdiergism

From Ancient Greek δίς (dís, “twice”) + Ancient Greek ἔργον (érgon, “work”) + -ism.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

diergism. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/diergism

MLA

“diergism.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/diergism. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “diergism,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/diergism.

Source: diergism on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.