allele
noun
Simple meaning
Either of a pair of alternative forms of a gene that can occupy the same locus on a particular chromosome and that control the same character.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
uhlehleeSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
əˈlɛli
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
genetics
Either of a pair (or series) of alternative forms of a gene that can occupy the same locus on a particular chromosome and that control the same character
“Some alleles are dominant over others.”
genetics
One of a number of alternative forms of the same gene occupying a given position, or locus, on a chromosome.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- C1 · Advanced (estimated)
- Frequency
- Uncommon
- Typical Use
- Neutral / general English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
This meaning: (genetics) either of a pair (or series) of alternative forms of a gene that can occupy the same locus on a particular chromosome and that control the same character
Used this way, allele is a common word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
“Some alleles are dominant over others.”
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use allele
- “Some alleles are dominant over others.”noun
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Word family
Words built from the same root.
Related to either of a pair (or series) of alternative forms of a gene that can occupy the same locus on a particular chromosome and that control the same character.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
An allele that produces the same phenotype whether its paired allele is identical or different.
An allele that produces its characteristic phenotype only when its paired allele is identical.
Related Words
Connected to the same idea, not synonyms.
- genotypenoun
- exonnoun
- polymorphismnoun
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