transformism

[Fr. transform is me.] Biol.: The hypothesis that all existing species are the product of the metamorphosis of other forms of living beings; and that the biological phenomena which they exhibit are the results of the interaction, through past time, of two series of factors: (1) a proce of morphological and concomitant physiological modification; (2) a proce of change in the condition of the earth's surface. "And there are two forms of the latter [evolution] hypothesis; for, it may be a umed, on the one hand, that crayfishes have come into existence independently of any other form of living matter, which is the hypothesis of spontaneous or equivocal generation, or abiogenesis; or, on the other hand, we may suppose that crayfishes. have resulted from the modification of some other form of living matter; and this is what, to borrow a useful word from the French language, is known as transform-ism."-Huxley: The Crayfish, p. 318. *trăns-freight (freight as frāt), v . i . [See def.] A corruption of transfrete (q. v.). "They arm, and trans freight ; and about the year 689 obtain the rule over us." - Water house : Apology for Learn ing , p. 52. (1653.) *trăns-frē-tā-tion, s. [Lat. transfretatio , from trans fret at us, pa. par. of transfreto = to cro the sea: Sp. trans fret a cion , trasfretacion .] [TRANSFRETE.] A pa ing over or cro ing a strait or nar transfrete row sea. *trăns-frēte', v. t. & i. [Fr. transfréter , from Lat. transfreto , from trans = acro , over, and fre tum =a strait, the sea; Sp. transfretar , trasfretar .] A. Trans .: To cro or pa over, as a strait or narrow sea. "So trans fret ing the Illyrian sea."-Locrine, i. 1. B. In trans.: To pa over a strait or narrow sea. "Being transfreted and pa ed over the Hircanian sea." -Urquhart: Rabelais . *trăns-füge, *trans-fü-gi-tive, s . [Lat. trans fug a a deserter, from trans =acro , and fugio =to fly.] A deserter; a soldier who goes over to the enemy in time of war; hence, a turncoat, an apostate. "The protection of deserters and transfuges is the invariable rule of every service in the world."- Lord Stan hope: Miscell., Second Series, p. 18. *trăns-fund', v. t. [Latin trans fun do =to pour out of one ve el into another, to transfuse: trans = acro , and fun do to pour.] To transfuse. "Its [gratitude] best instrument therefore is speech, that most natural, proper, and easie mean of conversation, of signifying our conceptions, of conveying, and as it were trans funding our thoughts and our pa ions into each other."-Barrow: Sermons, vol. i., ser. 8.