preformation
/ˌpriːfɔːrˈmeɪʃən/
noun
- The act or process of forming something in advance.
- The artist's preformation of the clay base made the sculpture easier to finish.
- Preformation of the concrete blocks allowed the construction crew to work faster.
- The preformation of the metal parts reduced the total assembly time.
- A historical biological theory that organisms develop from miniature versions of themselves already present in the egg or sperm.
- The theory of preformation suggested that a tiny human, called a homunculus, existed in the sperm.
- Preformation was a popular idea in the 17th century before the discovery of cells.
- Scientists rejected preformation after observing how embryos actually develop.
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