hybrid

(hi’brid or hib’rid), n. and a. [For- merly hybride; hybrid species, or genera; half-bred; cro -bred; mongrel. See I. The mere fact that not only animals of distinct genera, but even those cla ed in distinct families—as the pheasant and the black grouse — sometimes produce hybrid offppuins. in a state of nature, is itself an argument against there being any constant infertility between the most closely allied species. A. R. Wallace, Fortnightly Rev., N. 8., XL. 311. Hence—2, Of heterogeneous origin; having a mixed character; combining diverse elements, as a word formed from two different languages, architecture combining diverse styles, ete. Hybrid words of various kinds abound in English. Examples are bank-rupt, dis-belief, atone-ment, and eat-able, in which Teutonic and Latin elements are joined. In natural history hybrid names are generally condemned, though many have been retained in science; it is not regarded as an infringement of the laws of precedence to rectify or wholly reject them. A word bodily transferred from Greek to Latin and then taking the Latin inflections is not regarded as a hybrid; but if Greek and Latin inflections or Greek and Latin stems are mixed it is so regarded. Some hybrids have come into general use, and have been allowed to remain.—Hybrid porcelain, a ceramic ware which is not strictly hard porcelain like that of China, nor the soft-paste porcelain discovered in France, much used in Europe before the discovery of the secret of hard porcelain by Bottcher at Mei en. Quartz and a gla y frit enter into the composition of this ware, with but little kaolin.— Hybrid syllogism, an indirect syllogism. hybrid at i on (hi-brior hib-ri-da’shon), ». [¢ hybrid + -ation.] Same as hybridization. [Rare.] The theory of hybrid at i on advocated by some ostreiculturists he American, V. 88. hybridisable, hybridisation, etc. See hybridwzable, ete.