autochthonous
[ aw-tok-thuh-nuhs ]
/ ɔˈtɒk θə nəs /
Save This Word!
adjective
Ecology. pertaining to autochthons; aboriginal; indigenous (opposed to heterochthonous).
Pathology.
- found in the part of the body in which it originates, as a cancerous lesion.
- found in a locality in which it originates, as an infectious disease.
Psychology. of or relating to ideas that arise independently of the individual's own train of thought and seem instead to have some alien or external agency as their source.
QUIZZES
QUIZ YOURSELF ON "WAS" VS. "WERE"!
Were you ready for a quiz on this topic? Well, here it is! See how well you can differentiate between the uses of "was" vs. "were" in this quiz.
Question 1 of 7
“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.
Meet Grammar Coach
Improve Your Writing
Also au·toch·tho·nal, au·toch·thon·ic [aw-tok-thon-ik]. /ˌɔ tɒkˈθɒn ɪk/.
Origin of autochthonous
First recorded in 1795–1805; autochthon + -ous
OTHER WORDS FROM autochthonous
au·toch·tho·nism, au·toch·tho·ny, nounau·toch·tho·nous·ly, adverbau·toch·tho·nous·ness, nounWords nearby autochthonous
autocephalous, autocephaly, autochanger, autochrome, autochthon, autochthonous, autochthonous idea, autocidal, autocide, autoclasis, autoclave
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for autochthonous
British Dictionary definitions for autochthonous
autochthonous
autochthonic (ˌɔːtɒkˈθɒnɪk) or autochthonal
/ (ɔːˈtɒkθənəs) /
adjective
(of rocks, deposits, etc) found where they and their constituents were formedCompare allochthonous
inhabiting a place or region from earliest known times; aboriginal
physiol (of some functions, such as heartbeat) originating within an organ rather than from external stimulation
Derived forms of autochthonous
autochthonism or autochthony, nounautochthonously, adverbCollins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Medical definitions for autochthonous
autochthonous
[ ô-tŏk′thə-nəs ]
adj.
Native to the place inhabited; indigenous.
Originating in the place where found. Used of a disease originating in the part of the body where found, or of a disease acquired in the place where the patient is.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.