diplotene Syllabification: (dip·lo·tene)Pronunciation: /ˈdipləˌtēn/Definition of diplotene noun Biology the fourth stage of the prophase of meiosis, following pachytene, during which the paired chromosomes begin to separate into two pairs of chromatids. Origin: 1920s: from diplo- 'double' + Greek tainia 'band'diplotene in other Oxford dictionaries Definition of diplotene in the British & World English dictionary