Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun Biology The initial clustering of embryonic cells from which a part or an organ develops; primordium.
  • noun A genetic predisposition to a given trait or personality characteristic.
  • noun A fundamental principle; the foundation for a future development.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun In embryology, the first indication of a developing organ in the embryo; a rudiment, in the sense of a simple beginning.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun biology primordium, the initial clustering of embryonic cells from which a body part develops
  • noun genetics allele, a specific version of a gene (as used by Gregor Mendel)
  • noun psychology temperament, the predisposition personality type

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun an organ in its earliest stage of development; the foundation for subsequent development

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[German, fundamental principle, from Middle High German anlāge, request : ane-, on (from Old High German ana-; see an- in Indo-European roots) + lāge, act of laying (from Old High German lāga; see legh- in Indo-European roots).]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

German

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