preadaptation

[ pree-ad-uh p-tey-shuh n ]

/ ˌpri æd əpˈteɪ ʃən /

noun Biology.

a structure or property that developed in an ancestral stock and was useful in a descendant in a changed environment.

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Commas mark divisions in sentences. Periods end declarative sentences. Apostrophes show possession. Easy, right? Well, punctuation can get pretty tricky—fast. Think you got what it takes to be a punctuation expert? Take our quiz to prove it!

Question 1 of 10

Which of the options below is the best punctuation for the sentence? It__s your turn to pick the movie __ but your sister gets to pick the board game we _ re going to play.

Its your turn to pick the movie but your sister gets to pick the board game we’re going to play.

It’s your turn to pick the movie but your sister gets to pick the board game were going to play.

It’s your turn to pick the movie, but your sister gets to pick the board game we’re going to play.

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Origin of preadaptation

First recorded in 1885–90; pre- + adaptation

Words nearby preadaptation

preachment, preachy, preacquisition profit, preadamite, preadapt, preadaptation, preadmission, preadolescence, preadolescent, preadult, preagonal

Example sentences from the Web for preadaptation

Nothing is more wonderful in history than the unmistakable signs and proofs of preadaptation.
George Muller of Bristol|Arthur T. Pierson

British Dictionary definitions for preadaptation

preadaptation

/ (ˌpriːædəpˈteɪʃən) /

noun

biology the possession by a species or other group of characteristics that may favour survival in a changed environment, such as the limblike fins of crossopterygian fishes, which are preadaptation to terrestrial life

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