Word Study
meiosis
WORDNET DICTIONARY
Noun meiosis has 2 senses
- meiosis(n = noun.process) miosis, reduction division - (genetics) cell division that produces reproductive cells in sexually reproducing organisms; the nucleus divides into four nuclei each containing half the chromosome number (leading to gametes in animals and spores in plants); Array has parts: anaphase, cytokinesis, karyokinesis, metaphase, prophase, segregation, telophase
- meiosis(n = noun.communication) litotes - understatement for rhetorical effect (especially when expressing an affirmative by negating its contrary); "saying `I was not a little upset' when you mean `I was very upset' is an example of litotes" is a kind of understatement, rhetorical device
is a kind of cell division, cellular division
has particulars: nondisjunction
Derived form adjective meiotic1
CIDE DICTIONARY
meiosis, n. [NL., fr. Gr. mei`wsis, fr. meioy^n to make smaller, from mei`wn. See Meionite.].
- Diminution; a species of hyperbole, representing a thing as being less than it really is; understatement; see also
litotes . [1913 Webster] - The cellular process by which a diploid progenitor cell forms haploid gametes, including a division of one diploid cell into two cells, each with one of the homologous sets of chromosomes. [PJC]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
meiosis, n.
1 Biol. a type of cell division that results in daughter cells with half the chromosome number of the parent cell (cf. MITOSIS).
2 = LITOTES.
1 Biol. a type of cell division that results in daughter cells with half the chromosome number of the parent cell (cf. MITOSIS).
2 = LITOTES.
Derivative
meiotic adj. meiotically adv.
Etymology
mod.L f. Gk meiosis f. meioo lessen f. meion less
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