noun
- The state or condition of being a mongrel; a mixture of different breeds or types.
- A former medical term for Down syndrome, now considered outdated and offensive.
Usage: Often used in historical or technical contexts relating to animals or plants.
Usage: archaic; offensive; medical history
Examples
- The dog's mongrelism made it a unique blend of several different breeds.
- Early geneticists studied mongrelism in plants to understand inheritance patterns.
- The term mongrelism is no longer used in modern medical practice.
- Breeders sometimes intentionally embrace mongrelism to create hardier animals.
- The garden's mongrelism resulted from years of cross-pollination between different flower varieties.