allele
/əˈliːl/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: 2.91 in modern English
6
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
3
Syllables
3
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
One of a number of alternative forms of the same gene occupying a given position, or locus, on a chromosome.
Example Sentences
- "Genes are competing directly with their alleles for survival, since their alleles in the gene pool are rivals for their slot on the chromosomes of future generations. Any gene that behaves in such a way as to increase its own survival chances in the gene pool at the expense of its alleles will, by definition, tautologously, tend to survive."
- "Plant breeding is always a numbers game.[…]The wild species we use are rich in genetic variation, and individual plants are highly heterozygous and do not breed true. In addition, we are looking for rare alleles, so the more plants we try, the better."
Etymology
Borrowed from German Allel, shortened from Allelomorph, from English allelomorph. Ultimately from the Ancient Greek ἀλλήλων (allḗlōn, “each other”) from ἄλλος (állos, “other”).
Origin
- Source language: English
Word Breakdown
- Root: allelomorph, ἀλλήλων
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /əˈliːl/
- British English: /ˈæl.iːl/