preformation

English

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *per-

Proto-Indo-European *preh₂-

Proto-Indo-European *-i

Proto-Indo-European *préh₂i?

Proto-Italic *prai

Proto-Italic *prai-

Latin prae-lbor.

Middle English pre-

English pre-

English formation

English preformation

From pre- + formation.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /pɹiːfɔːˈmeɪʃ(ə)n/

Noun

preformation (countable and uncountable, plural preformations)

1. Prior formation.
2. (biology, historical) The theory that organisms are fully developed in the form of an egg or seed, and just increase in size (as opposed to epigenesis).
   • 1999, Matt Ridley, Genome, Harper Perennial, published 2004, page 174:

     Preformation, as even Aristotle spotted, merely postpones the problem, for how did the homunculus get its shape?

Alternative forms

• praeformation

Derived terms

• preformationary
• preformationism
• preformationist