Found 2 items, similar to parthenogenesis.
English → English (WordNet) Definition: parthenogenesis parthenogenesis n 1: human conception without fertilization by a man [syn: parthenogeny, virgin birth] 2: process in which an unfertilized egg develops into a new individual; common among insects and some other arthropods [syn: parthenogeny]
English → English (gcide) Definition: parthenogenesis parthenogenesis \par`the*no*gen"e*sis\ (p[aum]r`th[-e]*n[-o]*j[e^]n"[-e]*s[i^]s), n. [Gr. parqe`nos a virgin + E. genesis.] 1. (Biol.) The production of new individuals from virgin females by means of ova which have the power of developing without the intervention of the male element; the production, without fertilization, of cells capable of germination. It is one of the phenomena of alternate generation. Cf. Heterogamy, and Metagenesis. [1913 Webster] 2. (Bot.) The production of seed without fertilization, believed to occur through the nonsexual formation of an embryo extraneous to the embryonic vesicle. [1913 Webster]