common-origin structures

noun

UK /ˈkɒmən ˈɒrɪdʒɪn ˈstrʌktʃəz/

US /ˈkɑːmən ˈɔːrɪdʒɪn ˈstrʌktʃərz/

Things that are built the same way because they started from the same place.

The two old bridges are common-origin structures, so they look almost the same.

SYNONYMS

shared-origin buildings related structures similar constructions kindred forms

RELATED WORDS

ancestry prototype lineage derivation

OTHER MEANINGS

2. Parts of a language that come from the same older word.

The words 'father' and 'pater' are common-origin structures in different languages.

3. Body parts in different animals that share the same early development.

A bat's wing and a human's hand are common-origin structures.

4. Organizational systems that grew from the same original plan.

The two schools have common-origin structures because one copied the other's rules.