palingenesis

pal·in·gen·e·sis  (pln-jn-ss)

n. pl. pal·in·gen·e·ses (-sz)

1. The doctrine of transmigration of souls; metempsychosis.

2. Biology The repetition by a single organism of various stages in the evolution of its species during embryonic development.

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[Greek palin, again; see k^wel-¹ in Indo-European roots + -genesis.]

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palin·ge·netic (-j-ntk) adj.

palin·ge·neti·cal·ly adv.

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palingenesis

1. partial or complete regeneration.
2. the doctrine that a soul passes through several bodies in a series of rebirths. Also palingenesia, palingenesy. — palingenetic, adj.

See also: Birth

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1. the phase in the development of an organism in which its form and structure pass through the changes undergone in the evolution of the species.
2. the morphological and structural changes that occur during insect development. Also palingenesia, palingenesy. — palingenetic, adj.

See also: Form

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a belief that baptism effects a new birth or regeneration. Also palingenesy. — palingenesist, n. — palingenesian, adj.

See also: Baptism

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

palingenesis - emergence during embryonic development of various characters or structures that appeared during the evolutionary history of the strain or species recapitulation growing, growth, ontogenesis, ontogeny, maturation, development - (biology) the process of an individual organism growing organically; a purely biological unfolding of events involved in an organism changing gradually from a simple to a more complex level; "he proposed an indicator of osseous development in children" caenogenesis, cainogenesis, cenogenesis, kainogenesis, kenogenesis - introduction during embryonic development of characters or structure not present in the earlier evolutionary history of the strain or species (such as the addition of the placenta in mammalian evolution)