pedomorphism: Meaning and Definition of

pe•do•mor•phism

Pronunciation: (pē"du-môr'fiz-um), [key]
— n. Biol.
  1. a speeding up of the rate of development, resulting in an adult form that has the appearance of its larval or juvenile ancestor.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.