Abiogenesis

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Abiogenesis \Ab`i*o*gen"e*sis\, n. [Gr. 'a priv. + bi`os life +
     ge`nesis, origin, birth.] (Biol.)
     The supposed origination of living organisms from lifeless
     matter; such genesis as does not involve the action of living
     parents; spontaneous generation; -- called also {abiogeny},
     and opposed to {biogenesis}.


     [1913 Webster]
  
           I shall call the . . . doctrine that living matter may
           be produced by not living matter, the hypothesis of
           abiogenesis.                             --Huxley,
                                                    1870.
     [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  abiogenesis
       n : a hypothetical organic phenomenon by which living organisms
           are created from nonliving matter [syn: {autogenesis}, {autogeny},
            {spontaneous generation}]