geotaxis

American

[jee-oh-tak-sis] / ˌdʒi oʊˈtæk sɪs /

noun

Biology.

oriented movement of a motile organism toward or away from a gravitational force.

geotaxis British

/ ˌdʒiːəʊˈtæksɪs /

noun

movement of an organism in response to the stimulus of gravity

"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

Other Word Forms

geotactic adjective
geotactically adverb

Etymology

Origin of geotaxis

First recorded in 1960–65; geo- + -taxis

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

O. scapulalis does not exhibit this descending behavior, called geotaxis.

From New York Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023