Spontaneous Generation

Definition: Spontaneous Generation

Spontaneous Generation

Noun

1. A hypothetical organic phenomenon by which living organisms are created from nonliving matter.

Synonyms: Spontaneous Generation

Synonyms: abiogenesis (n), autogenesis (n), autogeny (n). (additional references)

Spontaneous generation was once believed to be the mechanism by which organisms could originate directly from non-living matter. The process is also known as abiogenesis, from the Greek roots a-, not, bio-, life, and genesis, origin.

Early examples of this theory included the generation of maggots from rotting meat, mice from dirty hay, and lice from sweat. The first of these was debunked by a simple experiment carried out by the Italian scientist Francesco Redi in 1668.

Context	Synonyms within Context (source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus).
Production	Spontaneous generation; archegenesis, archebiosis; biogenesis, abiogenesis, digenesis, dysmerogenesis, eumerogenesis, heterogenesis, oogenesis, merogenesis, metogenesis, monogenesis, parthenogenesis, homogenesis, xenogenesis; authorship, publication; works, opus, oeuvre.
Source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus.

Crosswords: Spontaneous Generation

English words defined with "spontaneous generation": Abiogenous, Archegony ♦ Heterogenist ♦ Lazzaro Spallanzani ♦ Panspermist, Panspermy ♦ Spallanzani. (references)

Domain	Title
Books	Evolution and the Spontaneous Generation Debate (reference) Sparks of Life: Darwinism and the Victorian Debates over Spontaneous Generation (reference) The Spontaneous Generation Controversy from Descartes to Oparin (reference) Things Come to Life: Spontaneous Generation Revisited (reference) (more book examples)
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Speaker	Term	Phrase(s)
Ronald Reagan	1981-1989	Our commitment to a Western Hemisphere safe from aggression did not occur by spontaneous generation on the day that we took office.
Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Language		Translations for "spontaneous generation"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses.
Danish		selvavl (autogenesis, autogeny), ostået ved selvavl (autogenesis, autogeny), abiogenese (abiogenesis). (various references)

Dutch		spontane generatie (autogenesis, autogeny). (various references)

French		génération spontanée, abiogénèse. (various references)

German		Urzeugung (abiogenesis, autogenesis, autogeny), Generatio spontanea (abiogenesis), Generatio primaria (abiogenesis), Archigenesis (abiogenesis), Archebiose (abiogenesis), Abiogenesis (abiogenesis), Abiogenese (abiogenesis). (various references)

Greek		γέννηση αυτόματη (autogenesis, autogeny). (various references)

Italian		urogenesi (autogenesis, autogeny), generazione spontanea (abiogenesis, autogenesis, autogeny), archegenesi (abiogenesis), abiogenesia (abiogenesis, heterogenesis), abiogenesi (abiogenesis). (various references)

Japanese Kanji		自然発�"� , 原�"� (primeval, primitive). (various references)

Japanese Katakana		しぜ�"はっせい, �'�"せい (current state, exactness, impartiality, life, present or actual strength, presentworld, primeval, primitive, rigidness, sound of the strings, strictness, the present age). (various references)

Pig Latin		ontaneousspay enerationgay

Portuguese		geração espontânea (abiogenesis, autogenesis, autogeny), abiogenesia (abiogenesis). (various references)

Russian		самозарождение (autogenesis). (various references)

Spanish		generación espontánea (autogenesis, autogeny), autogénesis (autogenesis, autogeny). (various references)

Swedish		spontan generation (autogenesis, autogeny). (various references)

Turkish		dirimdışı türeme, cansızlık (inanimation, inertness, languor, lifelessness, sluggishness, stagnation, torpidity, torpidness, torpor, washiness, weakness), cansızdan canlı oluşumu (abiogenesis). (various references)
Source: compiled by the editor from various translation references.

Spontaneous Generation

Definition: Spontaneous Generation