telegony

[ tuh-leg-uh-nee ]

noun

1. a former belief that a sire can influence the characteristics of the progeny of the female parent and subsequent mates.

telegony

/ ˌtɛlɪˈɡɒnɪk; tɪˈlɛɡənɪ /

noun

1. genetics the supposed influence of a previous sire on offspring borne by a female to other sires

Derived Forms

• telegonic, adjective

Other Words From

• tel·e·gon·ic [tel-i-, gon, -ik], adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of telegony¹

First recorded in 1890–95; tele- ¹ + -gony

Word History and Origins

Origin of telegony¹

C19: from tele- + -gony . Compare Greek tēlegonos ``born far from one's homeland''

Example Sentences

In 2004 the Russian Orthodox Church sponsored the publication of “Virginity and Telegony.”

From The Daily Beast

Weismann does not absolutely deny the possibility of the existence of telegony, but he would like more evidence.

From Project Gutenberg

His experiments so far support the view of Continental mule breeders, that telegony, if it takes place, occurs very seldom.

From Project Gutenberg

The idea of telegony, the persistent influence of the first mating, may be invoked to explain this discrepancy.

From Project Gutenberg

Telegony is still believed by many animal breeders, but it has no place in science.

From Project Gutenberg

The phenomenon has recently been endowed with a new name—Telegony.

From Project Gutenberg