GRE Word List
ATAVISM
recurrence in an organism of a trait or character typical of an ancestral form and usually due to genetic recombination
The meaning of the word atavism is recurrence in an organism of a trait or character typical of an ancestral form and usually due to genetic recombination.
Random words
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| miscellany | separate writings collected in one volume |
| permeable | capable of being permeated : penetrable |
| fermentation | the enzyme-catalyzed anaerobic breakdown of an energy-rich compound (such as a carbohydrate to carbon dioxide and alcohol or to an organic acid) by the action of microorganisms (such as bacteria or yeast) that occurs naturally and is commonly used in the production of various products (such as food, alcoholic beverages, and pharmaceuticals) especially by controlling microbial enzymatic activity |
| impassive | giving no sign of feeling or emotion : expressionless |
| interim | an intervening time : interval |
| harass | exhaust |
| courier | messenger |
| valid | having legal efficacy or force |
| thespian | actor |
| burlesque | a literary or dramatic work that seeks to ridicule by means of grotesque exaggeration or comic imitation |