homology

UK: /həʊˈmɒlədʒɪ/ US: (hə mol′ə jē, hō-)

Inflections of 'homology' (n): npl: homologies

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

ho•mol•o•gy  (hə mol′ə jē, hō-), n., pl. -gies. 

1. the state of being homologous;
   homologous relation or correspondence.
2. Biology
   • a fundamental similarity based on common descent.
   • a structural similarity of two segments of one animal based on a common developmental origin.
3. Chemistry the similarity of organic compounds of a series in which each member differs from its adjacent compounds by a fixed increment, as by CH₂.
4. Mathematics a classification of figures according to certain topological properties.

• Greek homología agreement, equivalent. to homólog(os) homologous + -ia -y³
• 1650–60

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

homology / həʊˈmɒlədʒɪ/ noun ( -gies)

1. the condition of being homologous

Etymology: 17th Century: from Greek homologia agreement, from homologos agreeing; see homologate