| 单词 | atavism |
| 释义 | atavism (once / 10120 pages) n Atavism is a return to a previous way of doing, saying, or seeing things. It can be casual, like wearing retro clothing and listening to vinyl records, or committed, like living in a straw hut without electricity. It makes sense that atavism comes from a Latin word meaning “forefather,” since it refers to a way of doing things like our ancestors did them. It’s often used negatively, though, to refer to behavior the speaker finds primitive or unacceptable. Atavists are often called "throwbacks." In biology, the term atavism or “evolutionary throwback” is used when animals are born with features that had disappeared, such as legs on a whale. WORD FAMILYatavism: atavisms, atavist, atavistic+/atavist: atavists/atavistic: atavistically USAGE EXAMPLESToday they are more likely to identify nationalism with xenophobia and atavism—leaving this elemental force to be captured by right-wing populists. Economist(Dec 01, 2016) It pitted unchecked, anarchical emotion against stoic rationality, atavism against civilization, present against future. The New Yorker(Sep 08, 2016) The result is civilization, art, music, scientific reasoning and philosophy, which often attempt to mitigate and improve on our genetic atavism. New York Times(Sep 02, 2016) n a reappearance of an earlier characteristic Syn|Hyper reversion, throwback recurrence, return happening again (especially at regular intervals) |
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