dysgenesis

D2Y4S1G2E1N1E1S1I1S1

noun

Defective development.

OriginAncient Greek γένεσῐς (génesĭs) ← Proto-Hellenic *génetis ← Proto-Indo-European *ǵénh₁tis →
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Meanings

noundysgenesis (countable and uncountable, plural dysgeneses)

plural dysgeneses

  1. countableuncountablemedicineDefective development.

    Down Syndrome (Mongolism) Described first in 1866 by Langdon Down, this is the best known of the chromosomal dysgeneses.

    1989, Raymond Adams, Maurice Victor, Principles of Neurology, →ISBN, page 980

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*dews-?
  2. Proto-Indo-European*dus-
  3. Proto-Hellenic*dus-
  4. Ancient Greekδυσ- (dus-)
  5. New Latindys-
  6. Englishdys-
  7. Proto-Indo-European*ǵenh₁-
  8. Proto-Indo-European*ǵénh₁tis
  9. Proto-Hellenic*génetis
  10. Ancient Greekγένεσῐς (génesĭs)
  11. Englishdysgenesis

From dys- + -genesis.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 發育不全 /发育不全
  • 發育不全 /发育不全 (fāyù bùquán)defective development
Finnish kehityshäiriö, dysgeneesi
  • kehityshäiriödefective development
  • dysgeneesidefective development
Spanish disgenesia
  • disgenesiadefective development
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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