"growing by additions on the outside," by 1818, from Modern Latin exogenus (on model of indigenus); see exo- "outer, outside" + -genous "generating, producing."
Entries linking to exogenous
exo-
word-forming element in words of Greek origin meaning "outer, outside, outer part," used from mid-19c. in scientific words (such as exoskeleton), from Greek exō (adv.) "outside," related to ex (prep.) "out of" (see ex-).
-genous
word-forming element meaning "generating, producing, yielding;" see -gen + -ous. In modern formations, making adjectives corresponding to words in -gen. In some older words, from Late Latin -genus, from Latin -gena "born" (for example indigenous).