thigmotropism
noun
Word History
borrowed from German Thigmotropismus, from Greek thígma "touch" (from thig-, base of thingánō, thingánein, aorist éthigon, thigeîn "to touch, handle, take hold of" —of uncertain origin— + -ma, resultative noun suffix) + German -o- -o- + -tropismus -tropism
Note: The term was introduced by the German physiologist Max Verworn (1863-1921) in Psycho-physiologische Protisten-Studien (Jena, 1889), p. 90. — Greek thingánein has been compared with Indo-European *dhi-n-ǵh-, evident in Latin fingere "to mold, fashion, make a likeness of" (see feign), a present tense derivative of *dhei̯ǵh- "knead, shape." However, this requires that voiced aspirates would lose aspiration and retain voicing after nasals in Greek, which appears not to be the case.
1899, in the meaning defined above
Medical Definition
thigmotropism
noun
- special carrier
- special case
- special character
- special collection
- special court
- special creation
- special damage
- special damages
- special deliveries
- special delivery
- special deputy
- special district
- special dividend
- special drawing rights
- special duty
- special ed
- special education
- special effect
- special effects
- Special Forces
- special grace
- special handling
- special handlings
- special hazard
- special injunction