[syn: parthenogenesis, parthenogeny]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
parthenogenesis \par`the*no*gen"e*sis\
(p[aum]r`th[-e]*n[-o]*j[e^]n"[-e]*s[i^]s), n. [Gr. parqe`nos
a virgin + E. genesis.]
1. (Biol.) The production of new individuals from virgin
females by means of ova which have the power of developing
without the intervention of the male element; the
production, without fertilization, of cells capable of
germination. It is one of the phenomena of alternate
generation. Cf. Heterogamy, and Metagenesis.
[1913 Webster]
2. (Bot.) The production of seed without fertilization,
believed to occur through the nonsexual formation of an
embryo extraneous to the embryonic vesicle.
[1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
parthenogenesis
n 1: human conception without fertilization by a man [syn:
parthenogenesis, parthenogeny, virgin birth]
2: process in which an unfertilized egg develops into a new
individual; common among insects and some other arthropods
[syn: parthenogenesis, parthenogeny]
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:
22 Moby Thesaurus words for "parthenogenesis":
abiogenesis, archigenesis, biogenesis, birth, blastogenesis,
development, digenesis, epigenesis, eumerogenesis, generation,
genesis, heterogenesis, histogenesis, homogenesis, isogenesis,
merogenesis, metagenesis, monogenesis, orthogenesis, pangenesis,
procreation, spontaneous generation