outcrossingn.
/ˈaʊtˌkrɒsɪŋ/, U.S. /ˈaʊtˌkrɔsɪŋ/, /ˈaʊtˌkrɑsɪŋ/ The act of performing an outcross; reproduction by unrelated individuals.
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the world > life > biology > biological processes > genetic activity > heredity or hereditary descent > [noun] > cross-breeding or hybridism
nick1824
crossing1851
hybridization1851
hybridism1854
intercrossing1859
hybridation1879
outcrossing1890
paragenesis1890
outbreeding1901
back-crossing1904
vicinism1905
monohybridism1907
cross-breeding1932
1890 Amer. Naturalist 24 793 Their period of out-crossing had been going on during the centuries previous to the commencement of the improving period.
1919 E. M. East & D. F. Jones Inbreeding & Outbreeding v. 98 Intermittent inbreeding alternating with periods of outcrossing..cannot maintain any high degree of homozygosity.
1950 Brit. Jrnl. Psychol. 40 132 Vigour is restored by out-crossing.
1973 M. C. F. Proctor & P. Yeo Pollination of Flowers xii. 382 It is seldom easy to establish the amount of out~crossing which takes place under natural conditions.
1988 Conservation Biol. 2 365 All ‘mainland’ flowers had a high probability of being visited, and thus were ensured of high potential for outcrossing and reproduction.
2000 Cats Dec. 44/1 Because of the small gene pool..inbreeding and outcrossing were necessary to continue the breed.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2004; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1890