English Dictionary |
ATAVIST
Pronunciation (US): | (GB): |
Dictionary entry overview: What does atavist mean?
• ATAVIST (noun)
The noun ATAVIST has 1 sense:
1. an organism that has the characteristics of a more primitive type of that organism
Familiarity information: ATAVIST used as a noun is very rare.
Dictionary entry details
Sense 1
Meaning:
An organism that has the characteristics of a more primitive type of that organism
Classified under:
Nouns denoting people
Synonyms:
atavist; throwback
Hypernyms ("atavist" is a kind of...):
being; organism (a living thing that has (or can develop) the ability to act or function independently)
Derivation:
atavism (a reappearance of an earlier characteristic)
atavistic (characteristic of an atavist)
Learn English with... Proverbs |
"Education is a subversive activity." (English proverb)
"The way the arrow hits the target is more important than the way it is shot; the way you listen is more important than the way you talk." (Bhutanese proverb)
"The person who pours water to other is the last one to drink." (Arabic proverb)
"Where there's a will, there is a way." (Dutch proverb)
"The way the arrow hits the target is more important than the way it is shot; the way you listen is more important than the way you talk." (Bhutanese proverb)
"The person who pours water to other is the last one to drink." (Arabic proverb)
"Where there's a will, there is a way." (Dutch proverb)