perigenesis

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noun

A theory put forward by Ernst Haeckel which explains inheritance (of characteristics) by the transmission of the type of so-called "growth force", possessed by one generation to another.

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Meanings

nounperigenesis (uncountable)
  1. historicaluncountablebiologyA theory put forward by Ernst Haeckel which explains inheritance (of characteristics) by the transmission of the type of so-called "growth force", possessed by one generation to another.

Origin

From peri- + genesis. Named by Ernst Haeckel's 1876 text Die Perigenesis der Plastidule, translated into English as "The Generation of Waves in the Small Vital Particles")

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Cite this entry
APA

perigenesis. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/perigenesis

MLA

“perigenesis.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/perigenesis. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “perigenesis,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/perigenesis.

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