from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Ontogenesis \On`to*gen"e*sis\, Ontogeny \On*tog"e*ny\, n. [See
{Ontology}, and {Genesis}.] (Biol.)
The history of the individual development of an organism; the
sequence of events involved in the development of an
organism; the history of the evolution of the germ; the
development of an individual organism, -- in distinction from
{phylogeny}, or evolution of the tribe. Called also
{henogenesis}, {henogeny}.
Syn: growth, growing, maturation, development.
[1913 Webster]