n.
The supposed development of living organisms from nonliving matter. Also called autogenesis, spontaneous generation.
abiogenetic a'bi·o·ge·net'ic (-jə-nĕt'ĭk) or a'bi·o·ge·net'i·cal adj.
abiogenetically a'bi·o·ge·net'i·cal·ly adv.
abiogenist a'bi·og'e·nist (-ŏj'ə-nĭst) n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
