preformist
|pre-form-ist|
🇺🇸
/priːˈfɔrmɪst/
🇬🇧
/priːˈfɔːmɪst/
person of 'pre-' + 'form' (one who pre-shapes or supports preformed development)
Etymology
'preformist' is built from the prefix 'pre-' (from Latin 'prae', meaning 'before') and 'form' (from Latin 'forma', meaning 'shape'), with the agentive suffix '-ist' (via French/Greek '-iste'/'-istēs', meaning 'one who does or supports').
'preformist' developed in Modern English by attaching the suffix '-ist' to the verb/noun 'preform' (from 'pre-' + 'form'); it is related to the longer formation 'preformationist' used in discussions of biological preformationism.
Originally it could simply denote 'one who preforms' (performs a preliminary shaping). Over time it has also been used in historical/academic contexts to mean 'a supporter of preformationism' in biology.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a person who adheres to or advocates preformationism (the historical biological theory that organisms develop from miniature preformed individuals).
Historically, a preformist argued that embryos contained tiny, preformed versions of adult organs.
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Noun 2
a person who preforms materials or components — i.e., shapes or forms a workpiece in a preliminary step in manufacturing (one who performs a preforming operation).
The factory hired a skilled preformist to create the preliminary shapes before final machining.
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Last updated: 2025/11/27 15:26