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exogenous

[ ek-soj-uh-nuhs ]
/ ɛkˈsɒdʒ ə nəs /
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See synonyms for exogenous on Thesaurus.com
adjective
originating from outside; derived externally.
Botany.
  1. (of plants, as the dicotyledons) having stems that grow by the addition of an annual layer of wood to the outside beneath the bark.
  2. pertaining to plants having such stems.
  3. belonging to the exogens.
Pathology. (of a disease) externally caused rather than resulting from conditions within the organism.
Biochemistry. of or noting the metabolic assimilation of proteins or other metabolites, the elimination of nitrogenous catabolites being in direct proportion to the amount of metabolites taken in.
Geology. exogenetic (def. 1).
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Also exogenetic (for defs. 2-4).

Origin of exogenous

First recorded in 1820–30; exo- + -gen + -ous

OTHER WORDS FROM exogenous

ex·og·e·nism, nounex·og·e·nous·ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to exogenous

exogenic, external, extracellular, extrinsic, heterochthonous, alien, estranged, exotic, foreign, remote, strange, unfamiliar

How to use exogenous in a sentence

  • Exogenously higher income"—that is, wealth that comes, poof, out of the blue—"produces unhealthy living.

    Lotto Death Curse|Anneli Rufus|February 19, 2010|DAILY BEAST

British Dictionary definitions for exogenous

exogenous
/ (ɛkˈsɒdʒɪnəs) /
adjective
having an external origin
biology
  1. developing or originating outside an organism or part of an organism
  2. of or relating to external factors, such as light, that influence an organism
psychiatry (of a mental illness) caused by external factors

Derived forms of exogenous

exogenously, adverb
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for exogenous

exogenous
[ ĕk-sŏj′ə-nəs ]
Originating or produced from outside an organism, tissue, or cell. Compare endogenous.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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