altricial

English

Etymology

From New Latin Altrices (a former division of birds), plural of altrīx, the feminine of altor (“nourisher”), from alere (“to nourish”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /əlˈtɹɪʃəl/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪʃəl

Adjective

altricial (comparative more altricial, superlative most altricial)

1. (zoology) Helpless at birth (of young animals); or having young which are helpless at birth.
   • 2001, Gonyou, Keeling & Keeling, Social Behaviour in Farm Animals, CABI Publishing, published 2001, page 63:

     Altricial young are typical among carnivores, which might be expected to be hampered in their hunting behaviour if the pregnant mother has to carry its young for a long period.

   • 2011, Steven Pinker, The Better Angels of Our Nature, Penguin, published 2012, page 281:

     First, humans are altricial, with immature newborns and a long childhood.

   • 2016, Joseph Henrich, chapter 5, in The Secret of Our Success […] , Princeton: Princeton University Press, →ISBN:

     First, compared to other species, babies are altricial, meaning that they are weak, undermuscled, fat, and uncoordinated (sorry, babies, but it's true).

Synonyms

• altricious
• nidicolous

Antonyms

• precocial

Derived terms

• altricially
• semialtricial
• subaltricial
• superaltricial

Translations

having young which are helpless at birth

• Portuguese: altricial

Noun

altricial (plural altricials)

1. Such an animal.

See also

• precocial

Portuguese

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /aw.tɾi.siˈaw/ [aʊ̯.tɾi.sɪˈaʊ̯], (faster pronunciation) /aw.tɾiˈsjaw/ [aʊ̯.tɾiˈsjaʊ̯]

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /al.tɾiˈsjal/ [aɫ.tɾiˈsjaɫ]

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /al.tɾiˈsjal/ [aɫ.tɾiˈsjaɫ]
  • (Southern Portugal) IPA^(key): /al.tɾiˈsja.li/ [aɫ.tɾiˈsja.li]

Adjective

altricial m or f (plural altriciais)

1. (zoology, of a species) altricial (having young which are helpless at birth)

Spanish

Adjective

altricial m or f (masculine and feminine plural altriciales)

1. altricial