thigmotaxis

American

[thig-muh-tak-sis] / ˌθɪg məˈtæk sɪs /

noun

Biology.

movement of an organism toward or away from any object that provides a mechanical stimulus.

thigmotaxis British

/ ˌθɪɡməˈtæksɪs /

noun

another name for stereotaxis

"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

thigmotactic adjective
thigmotactically adverb

Etymology

Origin of thigmotaxis

1895–1900; < Greek thígm ( a ) touch + -o- + -taxis

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