ˌhed.əˈräkrəˌnizəm noun
also het·er·och·ro·ny -_nē
( plural heterochronisms also heterochronies )
Etymology: heterochronism from New Latin heterochronus heterochronous (from heter- + Greek -chronos -chronous) + English -ism; heterochrony from New Latin heterochronia, from heterochronus + Latin -ia -y
1. : deviation from the typical embryological sequence of formation of organs and parts as a factor in evolution — compare fetalization
2. : irregularity in time relationships ; specifically : the existence of differences in chronaxies among functionally related tissue elements
• het·er·och·ro·nis·tic | ̷ ̷ ̷ ̷ˌ ̷ ̷ ̷ ̷|nistik adjective
• het·er·och·ro·nous | ̷ ̷ ̷ ̷|räkrənəs adjective