telegony

[ tuh-leg-uh-nee ]

noun

a former belief that a sire can influence the characteristics of the progeny of the female parent and subsequent mates.

Origin of telegony

First recorded in 1890–95; tele-¹ + -gony

Other words from telegony

tel·e·gon·ic [tel-i-gon-ik], /ˌtɛl ɪˈgɒn ɪk/, adjective

Words Nearby telegony

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use telegony in a sentence

In 2004 the Russian Orthodox Church sponsored the publication of “Virginity and telegony.”
The Strange Science Behind Virgin Births | Candida Moss | January 22, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Weismann does not absolutely deny the possibility of the existence of telegony, but he would like more evidence.
The Popular Science Monthly, June, 1900 | Various
His experiments so far support the view of Continental mule breeders, that telegony, if it takes place, occurs very seldom.
The Popular Science Monthly, June, 1900 | Various
The idea of telegony, the persistent influence of the first mating, may be invoked to explain this discrepancy.
Applied Eugenics | Paul Popenoe and Roswell Hill Johnson
telegony is still believed by many animal breeders, but it has no place in science.
Applied Eugenics | Paul Popenoe and Roswell Hill Johnson

The phenomenon has recently been endowed with a new name—telegony.
The Popular Science Monthly, June, 1900 | Various

British Dictionary definitions for telegony

telegony

/ (tɪˈlɛɡənɪ) /

noun

genetics the supposed influence of a previous sire on offspring borne by a female to other sires

Origin of telegony

C19: from tele- + -gony . Compare Greek tēlegonos ``born far from one's homeland''

Derived forms of telegony

telegonic (ˌtɛlɪˈɡɒnɪk) or telegonous, adjective

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

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