Part 4754

<hr> <page="619"> Page 619<p>

<h1>Generation</h1> <Xpage=619>

<hw>Gen`er*a"tion</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[OE. <ets>generacioun</ets>, F. <ets>g\'82n\'82ration</ets>, fr.L. <ets>generatio</ets>.]</ety> <p><b>1.</b> <def>The act of generating or begetting; procreation, as of animals.</def>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>Origination by some process, mathematical, chemical, or vital; production; formation; <as>as, the <ex>generation</ex> of sounds, of gases, of curves, etc</as>.</def>

<p><b>3.</b> <def>That which is generated or brought forth; progeny; offspiring.</def>

<p><b>4.</b> <def>A single step or stage in the succession of natural descent; a rank or remove in genealogy. Hence: The body of those who are of the same genealogical rank or remove from an ancestor; the mass of beings living at one period; also, the average lifetime of man, or the ordinary period of time at which one rank follows another, or father is succeeded by child, usually assumed to be one third of a century; an age.</def>

<blockquote>This is the book of the <b>generations</b> of Adam. <i>Gen. v. 1.</i></blockquote>

<blockquote>Ye shall remain there [in Babylon] many years, and for a long season, namely, seven <b>generations</b>. <i>Baruch vi. 3.</i></blockquote>

<blockquote>All <b>generations</b> and ages of the Christian church. <i>Hooker.</i></blockquote>

<p><b>5.</b> <def>Race; kind; family; breed; stock.</def>

<blockquote>Thy mother's of my <b>generation</b>; what's she, if I be a dog? <i>Shak.</i></blockquote>

<p><b>6.</b> <fld>(Geom.)</fld> <def>The formation or production of any geometrical magnitude, as a line, a surface, a solid, by the motion, in accordance with a mathematical law, of a point or a magnitude; <as>as, the <ex>generation</ex> of a line or curve by the motion of a point, of a surface by a line, a sphere by a semicircle, etc</as>.</def>

<p><b>7.</b> <fld>(Biol.)</fld> <def>The aggregate of the functions and phenomene which attend reproduction.</def>

<note>&hand; There are four modes of generation in the animal kingdom: <i>scissiparity</i> or by fissiparous generation, <i>gemmiparity</i> or by budding, <i>germiparity</i> or by germs, and <i>oviparity</i> or by ova.</note>

<cs><col>Alternate generation</col> <fld>(Biol.)</fld>, <cd>alternation of sexual with asexual generation, in which the products of one process differ from those of the other, -- a form of reproduction common both to animal and vegetable organisms. In the simplest form, the organism arising from sexual generation produces offspiring unlike itself, agamogenetically. These, however, in time acquire reproductive organs, and from their impregnated germs the original parent form is reproduced. In more complicated cases, the first series of organisms produced agamogenetically may give rise to others by a like process, and these in turn to still other generations. Ultimately, however, a generation is formed which develops sexual organs, and the original form is reproduced.</cd> -- <col>Spontaneous generation</col> <fld>(Biol.)</fld>, <cd>the fancied production of living organisms without previously existing parents from inorganic matter, or from decomposing organic matter, a notion which at one time had many supporters; abiogenesis.</cd></cs>

<h1>Generative</h1> <Xpage=619>

<hw>Gen"er*a*tive</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>a.</tt> <ety>[Cf. F. <ets>g\'82n\'82ratif</ets>.]</ety> <def>Having the power of generating, propagating, originating, or producing.</def> "That <i>generative</i> particle."

<i>Bentley.</i>

<h1>Generator</h1> <Xpage=619>

<hw>Gen"er*a`tor</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[L.]</ety> <p><b>1.</b> <def>One who, or that which, generates, begets, causes, or produces.</def>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>An apparatus in which vapor or gas is formed from a liquid or solid by means of heat or chemical process, as a steam boiler, gas retort, or vessel for generating carbonic acid gas, etc.</def>

<p><b>3.</b> <fld>(Mus.)</fld> <def>The principal sound or sounds by which others are produced; the fundamental note or root of the common chord; -- called also <altname>generating tone</altname>.</def>

<h1>Generatrix</h1> <Xpage=619>

<hw>Gen`er*a"trix</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt>; <plu>pl. L. <plw>Generatrices</plw> <tt>(#)</tt>, E. <plw>Generatrixes</plw> <tt>(#)</tt></plu>. <ety>[L.]</ety> <fld>(Geom.)</fld> <def>That which generates; the point, or the mathematical magnitude, which, by its motion, generates another magnitude, as a line, surface, or solid; -- called also <altname>describent</altname>.</def>

<h1>Generic, Generical</h1> <Xpage=619>

<hw><hw>Ge*ner"ic</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <hw>Ge*ner"ic*al</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>,<hw> <tt>a.</tt> <ety>[L. <ets>genus</ets>, <ets>generis</ets>, race, kind: cf. F. <ets>g\'82n\'82rique</ets>. See <er>Gender</er>.]</ety>

<p><b>1.</b> <fld>(Biol.)</fld> <def>Pertaining to a genus or kind; relating to a genus, as distinct from a species, or from another genus; <as>as, a <ex>generic</ex> description; a <ex>generic</ex> difference; a <ex>generic</ex> name.</as></def>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>Very comprehensive; pertaining or appropriate to large classes or their characteristics; -- opposed to <ant>specific</ant>.</def>