geotaxis

noun

geo·​tax·​is ˌjē-ō-ˈtak-səs How to pronounce geotaxis (audio)
: a taxis in which the force of gravity is the directive factor

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from German Geotaxis, from geo- geo- + -taxis -taxis

Note: The term was introduced by the German botanist Frank Schwarz (1857-1928) in "Der Einfluss der Schwerkraft auf die Bewegungsrichtung von Chlamidomonas und Euglena," Berichte der Deutschen Botanischen Gesellschaft, vol. 2 (1884), pp. 51-72. Schwarz thus attempted to distinguish between geotropism and geotaxis: "Bezeichnet man allgemein die Auslösung von Bewegungs- und Wachsthumsvorgänge durch die Schwerkraft als Geotropismus, so könnte man wohl auch diese Erscheinung als eine geotropische bezeichnen. Um jedoch nicht Ungleichartiges mit demselben Namen zu belegen, schlage ich vor, analog wie man die Orientirung der Schwärmsporen durch das Licht mit Phototaxis bezeichnet, die von mir beschriebene Orientirung von Euglena und Chlamidomonas durch die Schwerkraft als Geotaxis zu bezeichnen. Ich glaube, dass hierdurch eine kurze und natürliche Benennung der in Frage stehenden Erscheinung gewonnen ist" (p. 71). ("If one characterizes the initiation of movement and growth processes by gravity in general as geotropism, then one could also say that this phenomenon is geotropic. However, in order to not impose the same name on something dissimilar, I suggest that the gravitational orientation of Euglena and Chladmidomonas I have described be called geotaxis, by analogy with the designation of zoospore orientation through light as phototaxis. I believe that hereby we acquire a brief and natural name for the phenomenon in question.")

First Known Use

1899, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of geotaxis was in 1899

Dictionary Entries Near geotaxis

geotag

geotaxis

geotechnic

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Geotaxis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/geotaxis. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

Kids Definition

geotaxis

noun
geo·​tax·​is ˌjē-ō-ˈtak-səs How to pronounce geotaxis (audio)
plural geotaxes
-ˈtak-sēz
: a taxis in which the force of gravity is the cause of the movement

Medical Definition

geotaxis

noun
geo·​tax·​is -ˈtak-səs How to pronounce geotaxis (audio)
plural geotaxes -ˌsēz How to pronounce geotaxis (audio)
: a taxis in which the force of gravity is the directive factor

More from Merriam-Webster on geotaxis

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about geotaxis

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

9 Superb Owl Words

15 Words That Used to Mean Something Different
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
little chihuahua dressing like a turkey for thanksgiving
Is That Gratitude or Attitude? A Thanksgiving Quiz Decide which words express gratitude and which gi...