somatotropism

English

Etymology

somato- +‎ -tropism

Noun

somatotropism (uncountable)

1. (biology) A directive influence exercised by a mass of matter upon growing organs.
   • 2012, C. R. Kannan, The Pituarity Gland:

     It is noteworthy that the changes of hyper-somatotropism ensue so gradually that they literally creep under the skin of their victims.

Part or all of this entry has been imported from the 1913 edition of Webster’s Dictionary, which is now free of copyright and hence in the public domain. The imported definitions may be significantly out of date, and any more recent senses may be completely missing.
(See the entry for “somatotropism”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.)