The condition or process of being amphioxous; a rare or archaic term relating to the bilateral symmetry or dual-pointed structure of amphioxus organisms.
From 'amphi-' (both) + 'oxys' (sharp), + '-is' (condition/process suffix). Formed in the 19th century as naturalists developed technical terminology for describing organism structures and properties.
The '-is' ending in Greek medicine meant 'the process of becoming' or 'the state of being,' so amphioxis describes the very condition of having those distinctive sharp ends that make amphioxus look like a tiny lance.
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