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ontogeny

[ on-toj-uh-nee ]
/ ɒnˈtɒdʒ ə ni /
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noun Biology.
the development or developmental history of an individual organism.
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Also on·to·gen·e·sis [on-tuh-jen-uh-sis]. /ˌɒn təˈdʒɛn ə sɪs/.
Compare phylogeny.

Origin of ontogeny

First recorded in 1870–75; onto- + -geny

OTHER WORDS FROM ontogeny

on·to·ge·net·ic [on-tuh-juh-net-ik], /ˌɒn tə dʒəˈnɛt ɪk/, on·to·ge·net·i·cal, on·to·gen·ic, adjectiveon·to·ge·net·i·cal·ly, on·to·gen·i·cal·ly, adverbon·tog·e·nist, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use ontogeny in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for ontogeny

ontogeny

ontogenesis (ˌɒntəˈdʒɛnɪsɪs)

/ (ɒnˈtɒdʒənɪ) /

noun
the entire sequence of events involved in the development of an individual organismCompare phylogeny

Derived forms of ontogeny

ontogenic (ˌɒntəˈdʒɛnɪk) or ontogenetic (ˌɒntədʒɪˈnɛtɪk), adjectiveontogenically or ontogenetically, 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 ontogeny

ontogeny
[ ŏn-tŏjə-nē ]

The origin and development of an individual organism from embryo to adult.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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