Standard Lemma guide

carcinization

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˌkɑːsɪnɪˈzeɪʃn̩/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /-naɪ-/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: /ˌkɑɹsɪnɪˈzeɪʃ(ə)n/
  • General-American: /-naɪ-/
  • General-American: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -eɪʃən

1

noun

Meaning 1

The convergent evolution of decapod crustaceans from forms dissimilar to true crabs into similar forms.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: British, English, Oxford, US, uncountable

Qualifier: evolutionary theory

Topics: biology, natural-sciences, zoology

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

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.

Across languages

Translations

7 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 蟹化 (xièhuà) — convergent evolution of decapod crustaceans from forms dissimilar to true crabs into similar forms
  • French: carcinisation — convergent evolution of decapod crustaceans from forms dissimilar to true crabs into similar forms
  • German: Karzinisierung — convergent evolution of decapod crustaceans from forms dissimilar to true crabs into similar forms
  • German: Karzinisation — convergent evolution of decapod crustaceans from forms dissimilar to true crabs into similar forms
  • German: Verkrebsung — convergent evolution of decapod crustaceans from forms dissimilar to true crabs into similar forms
  • Italian: carcinizzazione — convergent evolution of decapod crustaceans from forms dissimilar to true crabs into similar forms
  • Portuguese: carcinização — convergent evolution of decapod crustaceans from forms dissimilar to true crabs into similar forms