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atavism |
Also found in: Medical, Legal, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson | 0.04 sec. |
atavism [at-a-viz-zum] Noun 1. the recurrence of primitive characteristics that were present in distant ancestors but not in more recent ones 2. reversion to a former type [Latin atavus great-grandfather's grandfather, ancestor] atavistic adj atavism the reappearance in the present of a characteristic belonging to a remote ancestor. — atavist, n. — atavistic, adj. See also: Ancestors
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In our day we have progressed to a point where such sentiments mark weakness and atavism. Perhaps some deeprooted atavism urges the wanderer back to lands which his ancestors left in the dim beginnings of history. What to you the friendship of Lop-Ear, the warm lure of the Swift One, the lust and the atavism of Red-Eye? |
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