diploid

American  

[dip-loid] / ˈdɪp lɔɪd /

adjective

1. double; twofold.

2. Biology. having two similar complements of chromosomes.

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noun

1. Biology. an organism or cell having double the basic haploid number of chromosomes.

2. Crystallography. a solid belonging to the isometric system and having 24 trapezoidal planes.

diploid British  

/ ˈdɪplɔɪd /

adjective

1. biology (of cells or organisms) having pairs of homologous chromosomes so that twice the haploid number is present

2. double or twofold

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noun

1. biology a diploid cell or organism

diploid Scientific  

/ dĭp′loid′ /

1. Having paired sets of chromosomes in a cell or cell nucleus. In diploid organisms that reproduce sexually, one set of chromosomes is inherited from each parent. The somatic cells of most animals are diploid.

2. Compare haploid See Note at mitosis

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Other Word Forms

• diploidic adjective
• diploidy noun

Etymology

Origin of diploid

First recorded in 1905–10; dipl(o)- + -oid

Example Sentences

The team traced the source of resistance to a wild diploid banana known as Calcutta 4.

From Science Daily • Feb. 19, 2026

However, sometimes the number of chromosome sets doubles from one generation to the next: one diploid organism suddenly becomes a tetraploid -- i.e. it has four sets of chromosomes.

From Science Daily • Apr. 16, 2024

And diploid crops tend to have fewer genes associated with a single trait, which makes breeding them to emphasize that trait much simpler.

From Salon • Nov. 9, 2023

The cranberry is a diploid, which means that each cell contains one set of chromosomes from the maternal parent and one set from the paternal parent.

From Salon • Nov. 9, 2023

The triploid apple needs to be pollinated by the diploid variety.

From Northern Nut Growers Association Report of the Proceedings at the 43rd Annual Meeting Rockport, Indiana, August 25, 26 and 27, 1952 by Northern Nut Growers Association