Idio- Words: “idiobiology” to “idioneural”
Part 1 of 2.
Words that come from idio-, idi- (Greek: peculiar, one’s own, personal, private; of or pertaining to one’s self; distinct, separate, alone).
idiobiology:
The branch of biology concerned with the study of organisms as individuals or the study of individual organisms.
idioblast:
1. A specialized plant cell that differs considerably from others in the same area of tissue. An idioblast is usually thick-walled and lacks chlorophyll.
2. An isolated cell differing in form, in contents, or in wall structure, from neighboring cells.
idiocaucasian:
Peculiar to the white race.
idiochlotic:
Peculiar to a particular group of people.
idiochromatic:
Having a distinctive and constant coloration, used especially of minerals.
idiocracy:
Personal rule or government.
idiocrasy:
Peculiarity of constitution; idiosyncrasy.
idiocy:
1. Extreme lack of intelligence or foresight.
2. An extremely unintelligent or thoughtless act.
3. An offensive term in a now disused classification system for mental disability.
idiodynamic:
Independently active.
idiodynamics:
A system of beliefs in psychology emphasizing the role of the personality in choosing stimuli and in organizing responses.
idiogamist:
Rarely used term for one who is capable of sexual union with only one or a few individuals of the opposite sex, being impotent in the presence of any others.
idiogamist:
A reference to a man who can perform sexually only with his wife or a limited number of partners, being impotent with other women.
idiogamy, idiogamous:
In biology, self-fertilization.
idiogenesis, idiogenetic:
Spontaneous origin (as of a disease).
idiogenosic:
Peculiar to a particular race.
idioglossia, idioglottic, idiolalia:
1. A developmental speech defect in which a child substitutes different sounds for the correct ones, so that speech is intelligible only to parents or others closely involved with the child.
2. The invention and use of language by a child or closely involved siblings such as twins that is unintelligible to anyone else.
3. A form of dyslalia in which the person affected consistently makes substitutions in his speech sounds to such an extent that he seems to speak a language of his own.
idiogram:
A graphic representation of one or more chromosomes.
idiograph:
1. One’s private mark or signature.
2. A signature or mark characteristic of or peculiar to a particular person, organization, etc.
3. A logotype or trademark.
idiographic:
1. Concentrating on particular cases and the unique traits or functioning of individuals, rather than on broad generalizations about human behavior. Idiographic research methods in psychology include the case study, which is characterized by the distinctiveness of each case.
2. Pertaining to the characteristics or behavior of a particular individual as an individual, as opposed to people in general.
idiohypnotism:
Self hypnosis; autohypnosis.
idiolalia:
Use of a language invented by the person himself.
idiolatry:
Self-worship.
idiolect, idiolectal:
1. An individual person’s vocabulary and particular and unique way of using language.
2. The linguistic system of one person, differing in some details from that of all other speakers of the same dialect or language.
idiom:
1. The way of using a particular language that comes naturally to its native speakers and involves both knowledge of its grammar and familiarity with its usage.
2. The style of expression of a specific individual or group.
3. The characteristic style of an artist or artistic group.
4. A fixed, distinctive, and often colorful expression whose meaning cannot be understood from the combined meanings of its individual words.
idiomatic:
1. Characteristic of, or in keeping with, the way a language is ordinarily and naturally used by its native speakers.
2. Having a meaning not deductible from the combined meanings of the words that make it up.
3. Characteristic of a particular style, or using a particular and distinctive style, especially in the arts.
4. Peculiar to or characteristic of a particular language; pertaining to or exhibiting the expressions, constructions, or phraseology approved by the peculiar usage of a language; especially, as differing from a strictly grammatical or logical use of words; vernacular; colloquial.
idiomaticity:
The quality or state of being idiomatic.
idiomatology:
1. A compilation of idiomatic words and phrases.
2. The study of idioms.
idiomiasma:
A self-produced offensive odor.
idiomelanic:
Peculiar to black races.
idiomography:
A description of idioms.
idiomorphic, idiomorphous, idiomorphism:
1. The state or quality of having a peculiar or characteristic form; uniqueness, or individuality in form.
2. Having its own characteristic form; specifically, having its characteristic crystallographic faces:;said of one of the constituent minerals of a rock.
idiomuscular:
1. Relating to the muscles alone, independent of the nervous control; applied to certain muscular contractions that occur only in degenerated muscles.
2. Peculiar to muscular tissue.
idioneural:
Peculiar to nerve tissue.