preformation

/ˌˈpriˈfɔrˌmeɪʃən/
IPA guide

Other forms: preformations

Definitions of preformation
  1. noun
    a theory (popular in the 18th century and now discredited) that an individual develops by simple enlargement of a tiny fully formed organism (a homunculus) that exists in the germ cell
    synonyms: theory of preformation
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    type of:
    theory
    a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world; an organized system of accepted knowledge that applies in a variety of circumstances to explain a specific set of phenomena
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