Animalculism

1 definition found

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

  Animalculism \An`i*mal"cu*lism\, n. [Cf. F. animalculisme.]
     1. (Biol.) The theory which seeks to explain certain
        physiological and pathological phenomena by means of
        animalcules.
        [1913 Webster]
  


     2. (Biol.) The theory that the spermatozo["o]n and not the
        ovum contains the whole of the embryo; spermatism; --
        opposed to {ovism}.
        [Webster 1913 Suppl.]