homoplasy

H4O1M3O1P3L1A1S1Y4

noun

A correspondence between the parts or organs of different species acquired as the result of parallel evolution or convergence.

Opposite
homology
OriginAncient Greek πλᾰ́σῐς (plắsĭs) ← Proto-Hellenic *plát͏̌t͏̌ō? ← English homo- →
Scrabble 19
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Meanings

nounhomoplasy (countable and uncountable, plural homoplasies)

plural homoplasies

  1. countableuncountableevolutionary theoryA correspondence between the parts or organs of different species acquired as the result of parallel evolution or convergence.
  2. countableuncountablehuman sciencesA correspondence between variants in different versions of texts acquired as the result of parallel evolution or convergence.

Synonyms & antonyms

Opposite
homology

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*sem-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*somHós
  3. Proto-Hellenic*homós
  4. Ancient Greekὁμός (homós)
  5. Englishhomo-
  6. Proto-Hellenic*plátʰyō
  7. Proto-Hellenic*plát͏̌t͏̌ō?
  8. Ancient Greekπλάσσω (plássō)
  9. Ancient Greekπλᾰ́σῐς (plắsĭs)
  10. Englishhomoplasy

Coined by British zoologist Ray Lankester in 1870, from homo- + -plasy, formed from Ancient Greek ὁμός (homós, “similar, alike, the same”) and πλάσσω (plássō, “to shape, to mold”).

More words from Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

homoplasy. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/homoplasy

MLA

“homoplasy.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/homoplasy. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “homoplasy,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/homoplasy.

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