| abort |
to stop growing before achieving full development. [1/5 definitions] |
| anal |
in psychoanalysis, denoting or pertaining to a stage of psychological development characterized by interest in or attention to the anus. [1/2 definitions] |
| ancient Rome |
a civilization cultivated by the city-state of Rome from the 8th century B.C.E. through its development as a republic and its collapse as an empire in the 5th century A.D. |
| anthropology |
the scientific study of mankind, esp. its origins, development, social customs and structures, and cultures. |
| antidevelopment |
combined form of development. |
| antinuclear |
opposed to the development, deployment, or use of nuclear devices such as weapons and power plants. |
| apogamy |
in botany, the development of a plant from a sporophyte, rather than from a union of gametophytes. |
| archiblast |
the outer layer of an embryo in a very early, two-layered stage of development. [1/2 definitions] |
| artificial intelligence |
the research in and development of computer programs or computers to initiate human thought processes such as reasoning or decision-making. |
| athletics |
(usu. used with a sing. verb) the study and practice of athletic development. [1/2 definitions] |
| atomic age |
(often cap.) the period in history characterized by the development and use of atomic energy in the generation of electrical power and for immensely destructive weapons. |
| autonetics |
(used with a sing. verb) the science of the use and development of automated devices used for control and guidance. |
| baby |
a newly-born or very young child in the first stages of development; infant. [1/11 definitions] |
| backlash |
a strong reaction against some prior development, esp. political or social change. [1/3 definitions] |
| behaviorism |
in psychology, the doctrine that observable behavior, rather than mental events or consciousness, gives the only valid evidence for study, and that environmental influences predominate in human psychological development. |
| bildungsroman |
a novel that concerns itself primarily with the psychological and moral development of the main character, usually from youth into adulthood. |
| biology |
the science that is concerned with the growth, development, and functioning of living things. [1/3 definitions] |
| blastula |
an embryo in an early stage of development that consists of a single layer of cells forming a hollow sphere. |
| boom1 |
a period of rapid development or expansion in a particular sphere. [1/7 definitions] |
| breeding |
in genetics, the development or improvement of strains or breeds through the use of controlled fertilization or pollination. [1/3 definitions] |
| Bronze Age |
the stage or level of development of human culture that followed the Stone Age and was characterized by the use of bronze tools and weapons; about 3,500 B.C. to 1,000 B.C. |