Lamarckism

2 definitions found

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

  Lamarckism \La"marck"ism\, n. [From Lamarck, a distinguished
     French naturalist.] (Biol.)
     The theory that structural variations, characteristic of
     species and genera, are produced in animals and plants by the
     direct influence of physical environments, and esp., in the
     case of animals, by effort, or by use or disuse of certain


     organs. It is a discredited theory, not believed by modern
     biologists.
     [1913 Webster +PJC]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  Lamarckism
       n : a theory of organic evolution claiming that acquired
           characteristics are transmitted to offspring