thigmotropism

noun

thig·​mot·​ro·​pism thig-ˈmä-trə-ˌpi-zəm 

: a tropism in which contact especially with a solid or a rigid surface is the orienting factor

Word History

Etymology

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.

First Known Use

1899, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

thigmotropism

noun

thig·​mot·​ro·​pism thig-ˈmä-trə-ˌpiz-əm 

: a tropism in which contact especially with a solid or rigid surface is the stimulus directing the movement of an organism

Medical Definition

thigmotropism

noun

thig·​mot·​ro·​pism thig-ˈmä-trə-ˌpiz-əm 

: a tropism in which physical contact especially with a solid or a rigid surface is the factor causing orientation of the whole organism