heterosis

het·er·o·sis  (ht-rss)

n.

See hybrid vigor.

---

[Late Greek hetersis, alteration, alteration of Greek heteroisis, from heteroioun, to alter, from heteroios, different in kind, from heteros, other; see hetero-.]

---

heter·otic (-rtk) adj.

---

heterosis

abnormal development, especially increased size, in plants or animals, usually as a result of cross-breeding.

See also: Animals, Plants

---

abnormal development, especially increased size, in plants or animals, usually as a result of crossbreeding.

See also: Size

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

heterosis - (genetics) the tendency of a crossbred organism to have qualities superior to those of either parent hybrid vigor tendency, inclination - a characteristic likelihood of or natural disposition toward a certain condition or character or effect; "the alkaline inclination of the local waters"; "fabric with a tendency to shrink" genetic science, genetics - the branch of biology that studies heredity and variation in organisms