altricial
English
editEtymology
editFrom New Latin Altrices (a former division of birds), plural of altrīx, the feminine of altor (“nourisher”), from alere (“to nourish”).
Pronunciation
edit- IPA(key): /əlˈtɹɪʃəl/
Audio (Southern England): (file) - Rhymes: -ɪʃəl
Adjective
editaltricial (comparative more altricial, superlative most altricial)
- (zoology) Helpless at birth (of young animals); or having young which are helpless at birth.
- 2001, Gonyou, Keeling & Keeling, Social Behaviour in Farm Animals, CABI Publishing, published 2001, page 63:
- Altricial young are typical among carnivores, which might be expected to be hampered in their hunting behaviour if the pregnant mother has to carry its young for a long period.
- 2011, Steven Pinker, The Better Angels of Our Nature, Penguin, published 2012, page 281:
- First, humans are altricial, with immature newborns and a long childhood.
- 2016, Joseph Henrich, chapter 5, in The Secret of Our Success […] , Princeton: Princeton University Press, →ISBN:
- First, compared to other species, babies are altricial, meaning that they are weak, undermuscled, fat, and uncoordinated (sorry, babies, but it's true).
Synonyms
editAntonyms
editDerived terms
editTranslations
edithaving young which are helpless at birth
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Noun
editaltricial (plural altricials)
- Such an animal.
See also
editPortuguese
editPronunciation
edit
Adjective
editaltricial m or f (plural altriciais)
Spanish
editAdjective
editaltricial m or f (masculine and feminine plural altriciales)
Categories:
- English terms borrowed from New Latin
- English terms derived from New Latin
- English 3-syllable words
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- Rhymes:English/ɪʃəl
- Rhymes:English/ɪʃəl/3 syllables
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- en:Zoology
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- Portuguese 4-syllable words
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- pt:Zoology
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