a type of reproduction, occurring in some insects and flowers, in which the unfertilized ovum develops directly into a new individual
2.
human conception without fertilization by a male; virgin birth
Derived forms
parthenogenetic (ˌpɑːθɪˌnəʊdʒɪˈnɛtɪk)
adjective
parthenogenetically (ˌpartheˌnogeˈnetically)
adverb
Word origin
C19: from Greek parthenos virgin + genesis birth
parthenogenesis in American English
(ˌpɑrθəˌnoʊˈdʒɛnəsɪs)
noun
reproduction by the development of an unfertilized ovum, seed, or spore, as in certain insects or algae: it may be induced artificially by chemical or mechanical means