prēformāˈtion noun

prēformāˈtionism noun

prēformāˈtionist noun

A believer in the now exploded theory that the plant or animal (and therefore all its descendants) was already preformed in the germ (the ovum, according to the ovists, the sperm, according to the animalculists) and had only to be unfolded without formation of any new parts

prēforˈmative adjective