meiosis

 
Pronunciation: /mʌɪˈəʊsɪs/

noun (plural meioses /-siːz/)

[mass noun]
  • 1 Biology a type of cell division that results in four daughter cells each with half the number of chromosomes of the parent cell, as in the production of gametes and plant spores: the sporophytes of green algae form spores only by meiosis [count noun]: no recombinants were observed in over 100 meiosesCompare with mitosis

Derivatives

meiotic

Pronunciation: /-ˈɒtɪk/
adjective

meiotically

Pronunciation: /-ˈɒtɪk(ə)li/
adverb

Origin:

mid 16th century (in meiosis (sense 2)): modern Latin, from Greek meiōsis, from meioun 'lessen', from meiōn 'less'. meiosis (sense 1) dates from the early 20th century