neoteny
Meanings
noun
- The retention of juvenile characteristics in the adult.
- The sexual maturity of an organism still in its larval stage.
Pronunciation
Word forms
Etymology
From German Neotenie, coined in 1884 by anatomist Julius Kollmann from Ancient Greek νέος (néos, “young”) + τείνειν (teínein, “to tense”).
Synonyms
Related words
Derived words
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