geotaxis

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noun

A living creature's ability to move by orienting itself by gravitational forces.

OriginEnglish taxis ← Ancient Greek γεω- (geō-) ← Proto-Hellenic *gaya →
Scrabble 16
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Meanings

noungeotaxis (usually uncountable, plural geotaxes)

plural geotaxes

  1. uncountableusuallybiologyA living creature's ability to move by orienting itself by gravitational forces.
  2. uncountableusuallybiologyA downward movement.

Origin

  1. Proto-Hellenic*gaya
  2. Ancient Greekγαῖᾰ (gaîă)clip.
  3. Ancient Greekγῆ (gê)
  4. Ancient Greekγεω- (geō-)
  5. Englishgeo-
  6. Englishtaxis
  7. Englishgeotaxis

From geo- + taxis.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

French géotaxisme
  • géotaxismeliving creature's ability to move by orienting itself by gravitational forces
Tagalog dutbiling
  • dutbilingliving creature's ability to move by orienting itself by gravitational forces
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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