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atavism

The definition of an atavism is a genetic trait that reoccurs after skipping several generations.

(noun)

If a person has blue eyes like her great great grandmother but her mother, grandmother, and great grandmother have brown eyes, then having blue eyes is an example of an atavism.

See atavism in Webster's New World College Dictionary

noun

appearance in an individual of some characteristic found in a remote ancestor but not in nearer ancestors
1. such a characteristic
2. an individual with such a characteristic
  also atavist

Origin: Fr atavisme < L atavus, father of a great-grandfather, ancestor < at-, beyond + avus, grandfather < IE *ati, beyond + *awos, maternal grandfather

Related Forms:

atavistic adjective or atavic
atavistically adverb

See atavism in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun

The reappearance of a characteristic in an organism after several generations of absence, usually caused by the chance recombination of genes.
An individual or a part that exhibits atavism. Also called throwback.
The return of a trait or recurrence of previous behavior after a period of absence.

Origin:

Origin: French atavisme

Origin: , from Latin atavus, ancestor

Origin: : atta, father

Origin: + avus, grandfather; see awo- in Indo-European roots

Related Forms: