Biol. [f. Gr. τῆλε, TELE- + -γονια begetting; cf. Gr. τηλέγονος ‘born far from one’s fatherland.’] The (hypothetical) influence of a previous sire seen in the progeny of a subsequent sire from the same mother.
1893. W. N. Parker, trans. Weismann’s Germ-Plasme, xii. 383. The phenomenon generally known as ‘infection of the germ,’—which, in case it really exists, I should prefer to speak of as telegony.
1899. Daily News, 20 June, 8/5. ‘The Penycuik Experiments,’… undertaken to try and throw some light upon reversion and the difficult problem of telegony.
1900. Brit. Med. Jrnl., No. 2046. 638. Telegony might prevail in the case of hereditary predisposition.
Hence Telegonic a., of or pertaining to telegony; Telegonous a., ‘of, pertaining to, or produced by telegony’ (Funk’s Stand. Dict., 1895).
1893. F. Finn, in Nat. Science, Dec., 436. Cases which seem difficult of explanation on any other than the Telegonic theory. Ibid. (1897), Feb., 80. Telegonic influence of the zebra will be looked for.
