reproduction

[ree-pruh-duhk-shuhn]

noun

1. the act or process of reproducing.

2. the state of being reproduced.

3. something made by reproducing an original; copy; duplicate.

   a photographic reproduction; a reproduction of a Roman vase.

   Synonyms: facsimile, replica

4. Biology.,  the natural process among organisms by which new individuals are generated and the species perpetuated.

   Synonyms: propagation, generation

reproduction

/ ˌriːprəˈdʌkʃən /

noun

1. biology any of various processes, either sexual or asexual, by which an animal or plant produces one or more individuals similar to itself

2. 1. an imitation or facsimile of a work of art, esp of a picture made by photoengraving

   2. Sometimes shortened to: repro. ( as modifier )

      a reproduction portrait

3. the quality of sound from an audio system

   this amplifier gives excellent reproduction

4. the act or process of reproducing

5. the state of being reproduced

6. a revival of an earlier production, as of a play

reproduction

1. The process by which cells and organisms produce other cells and organisms of the same kind.

2. ◆ The reproduction of organisms by the union of male and female reproductive cells (gametes) is called sexual reproduction. Many unicellular and most multicellular organisms reproduce sexually.

3. ◆ Reproduction in which offspring are produced by a single parent, without the union of reproductive cells, is called asexual reproduction. The fission (splitting) of bacterial cells and the cells of multicellular organisms by mitosis is a form of asexual reproduction, as is the budding of yeast cells and the generation of clones by runners in plants. Many plants and fungi are capable of reproducing both sexually and asexually, as are some animals, such as sponges and aphids.

Other Word Forms

• nonreproduction noun
• self-reproduction noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of reproduction¹

First recorded in 1650–60; re- + production

Example Sentences

Mr. Le Tellier takes an archivist’s approach, including reproductions of documents, letters and photographs of Chaix, a handsome young man who wore T-shirts tucked into darted pants.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The catalog’s full-page reproductions, in spectacular colors or crepuscular monochromes, are frequently transporting.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The commodification of reproduction may enrich clinics and lawyers, but it impoverishes humanity.

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Continued research will connect specific vocalizations to particular behaviors, including foraging, movement, social interactions, and reproduction.

Read more on Science Daily

"Both the memorisation in the language models and the reproduction of the song lyrics in the chatbot's outputs constitute infringements of copyright law," the court ruled.

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

• breeding 
• copy 
• facsimile 
• imitation 
• photocopy 
• photograph 
• picture 
• print 
• propagation 
• recreation 
• replica 
• replication