at·a·vism ( t  -v z m)n. 1. The reappearance of a characteristic in an organism after several generations of absence, usually caused by the chance recombination of genes. 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. [French atavisme, from Latin atavus, ancestor : atta, father + avus, grandfather; see awo- in Indo-European roots.] at a·vist n.at a·vistic adj.at a·visti·cal·ly adv. |
atavistic [ˌætəˈvɪstɪk]
adj
of or relating to reversion to a former or more primitive type
atavistically adv
| atavistic (t-vstk) Relating to an inherited trait that reappears in an individual after being absent from a strain of organism for several generations. Atavistic traits were formerly thought to be throwbacks to ancestral types but are now known to be due to the inheritance of a pair of recessive genes. |
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Adj. | 1. | atavistic - characteristic of an atavist regressive - opposing progress; returning to a former less advanced state |
Translations
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