parthenogenesis

C2 Topic:General Vocabulary

US /ˌpɑːrθənoʊˈdʒenəsɪs/ UK /ˌpɑːθənəʊˈdʒenəsɪs/ See IPA manual

Freq #84386

Meanings

1

noun
reproduction in which an embryo develops from an unfertilized egg

Some aphids alternate sexual reproduction with parthenogenesis during the warmer months.
2

noun
figurative: the production of something without the usual external source or partner

The critic joked that each error generated another by a kind of intellectual parthenogenesis.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · reproduction in which an... parthenogenyasexual reproduction

2 noun · figurative: the production... self-generation

Opposites

sexual reproductionfertilization

Word family

Derived forms tychoparthenogenesis

Related forms parthenogeneticparthenoteovumapomixis

Etymology

Formed from Greek parthenos, 'virgin,' + genesis, 'origin, creation, or generation.' The biological term denotes development from an unfertilized egg and was later extended figuratively to seemingly self-generated ideas or events.

Topics

General Vocabulary

External links

# parthenogenesis

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˌpɑːrθənoʊˈdʒenəsɪs/
**IPA (UK):** /ˌpɑːθənəʊˈdʒenəsɪs/
**Frequency rank:** 84386

## Meanings
1. reproduction in which an embryo develops from an unfertilized egg
2. figurative: the production of something without the usual external source or partner

## Examples
- Some aphids alternate sexual reproduction with parthenogenesis during the warmer months.
- The critic joked that each error generated another by a kind of intellectual parthenogenesis.

## Synonyms
- parthenogeny
- asexual reproduction
- self-generation

## Antonyms
- sexual reproduction
- fertilization

## Derived Forms
- tychoparthenogenesis

## Related Forms
- parthenogenetic
- parthenote
- ovum
- apomixis

## Etymology
Formed from Greek parthenos, 'virgin,' + genesis, 'origin, creation, or generation.' The biological term denotes development from an unfertilized egg and was later extended figuratively to seemingly self-generated ideas or events.

## Topics
- General Vocabulary

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