atavist

at·a·vism

 (ăt′ə-vĭz′əm)

n.

1. The reappearance of a characteristic in an organism after several generations of absence.

2. An individual or a part that exhibits atavism. Also called throwback.

3. The return of a trait or recurrence of previous behavior after a period of absence.

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[French atavisme, from Latin atavus, ancestor : atta, father + avus, grandfather; see awo- in Indo-European roots.]

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at′a·vist n.

at′a·vis′tic adj.

at′a·vis′ti·cal·ly adv.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

atavist - an organism that has the characteristics of a more primitive type of that organism throwback organism, being - a living thing that has (or can develop) the ability to act or function independently

Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.