preformation
|pre-for-ma-tion|
🇺🇸
/ˌpriːfɔrˈmeɪʃən/
🇬🇧
/ˌpriːfɔːrˈmeɪʃən/
forming beforehand
Etymology
'preformation' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'praeformatio', where 'prae-' meant 'before' and 'formatio' (from 'formare') meant 'a forming'.
'preformation' came into English via modern Latin scientific usage (Latin 'praeformatio') and was adopted into English scientific vocabulary by the 17th–18th centuries to name the biological doctrine; it later broadened to mean any forming in advance.
Initially, it meant 'the act of forming beforehand' in a general sense; over time it became especially associated with the specific biological doctrine that embryos are preformed, and later retained both the technical historical sense and the more general meaning of 'preliminary formation'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a historical biological theory that embryos develop from miniature, fully formed organisms (often contained in the egg or sperm) — i.e., organisms are 'preformed' and simply increase in size during development.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, preformation was a dominant explanation for embryonic development.
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Noun 2
the act or process of forming something in advance; preliminary formation or shaping of parts or structures before final assembly or development.
The preformation of the components in the factory sped up the final assembly process.
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Last updated: 2025/09/12 05:25