carcinization
Syllables: car·cin·i·za·tion/ˌkɑːsɪnɪˈzeɪʃn̩//ˌkɑɹsɪnɪˈzeɪʃ(ə)n/
carcinization noun: the convergent evolution of decapod crustaceans from forms dissimilar to true crabs into similar forms.
Noun
carcinization (uncountable)
- The convergent evolution of decapod crustaceans from forms dissimilar to true crabs into similar forms.
- [page 121] Porcellanopagurus is a quite independent case of the phenomenon which may be called "carcinization," and which consists essentially in a reduction of the abdomen of a macrurous crustacean, together with a depression and broadening of its cephalothorax, so that the animal assumes the...1916, L[ancelot] A[lexander] Borradaile, Crustacea. Part II.—Porcellanopagurus: An Instance of Carcinization (British Museum (Natural History); British Antarctic (“Terra Nova”) Expedition, 1910...
- [L]arval forms of the two groups [hermit crabs and king crabs] are remarkably alike; and carcinization (the evolution of crablike features) appears to have been a recurring theme in hermit crab evolution under ecological circumstances where the shells of gastropod snails are of limited availability...1994, John C[harles] Avise, “Species Phylogenies and Macroevolution”, in Molecular Markers, Natural History and Evolution, Boston, Mass.; Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers, published 2001, →ISBN...
Forms of carcinization
| alternative form | carcinisation |
|---|
Origin of carcinization
From Ancient Greek καρκῐ́νος (karkĭ́nos, “crab”) + English -ization (suffix forming nouns denoting the act, process, or result of doing or making something), coined by British zoologist Lancelot Alexander Borradaile (1872–1945) in a 1916 report: see the quotation.
Words formed from carcinization
Words that rhyme with carcinization
- station
- collation
- accommodation
- presentation
- derivation
- information
- modulation
- translation
- application
- fixation
- generation
- orientation
48 more rhymesFewer rhymes
- citation
- combination
- communication
- conjugation
- constellation
- determination
- elevation
- operation
- relation
- reservation
- alternation
- condensation
- conversation
- deviation
- excavation
- foliation
- formation
- foundation
- incarnation
- interpretation
- representation
- retardation
- speculation
- termination
- abbreviation
- adaptation
- articulation
- bifurcation
- concentration
- congregation
- declination
- degradation
- expectation
- extenuation
- gradation
- observation
- population
- preparation
- reconciliation
- rotation
- separation
- situation
- vexation
- vindication
- accumulation
- administration
- aggregation
- appropriation
Questions about carcinization
- What does carcinization mean?
- Carcinization means the convergent evolution of decapod crustaceans from forms dissimilar to true crabs into similar forms.
- What part of speech is carcinization?
- Carcinization is a noun.
- How do you pronounce carcinization?
- Carcinization is pronounced /ˌkɑːsɪnɪˈzeɪʃn̩/ (UK).
Words near carcinization in the dictionary
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: carcinization (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
Last updated:
Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-carcinization.wav, En-us-carcinization.mp3.
Cite this entry: “carcinization.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/carcinization. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.