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heterosis

American  
[het-uh-roh-sis] / ˌhɛt əˈroʊ sɪs /

noun

Genetics.
  1. the increase in growth, size, fecundity, function, yield, or other characters in hybrids over those of the parents.


heterosis British  
/ ˌhɛtəˈrəʊsɪs /

noun

  1. biology another name for hybrid vigour

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of heterosis

First recorded in 1910–15, heterosis is from the Late Greek word hetérōsis an alteration. See hetero-, -sis

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

However, the heterosis effect no longer persists in the subsequent generations of these hybrids due to the segregation of genetic information.

From Science Daily

But the neat, perfectly formed, soft-domed roses also remind me of hybrid vigor, or heterosis, a term used in genetics.

From The New Yorker

In addition to allelic variation, the variation in gene content may contribute to heterosis, as has been suggested for maize.

From Nature

“But there is still no consensus as to what causes heterosis,”  Lippman said. 

From US News

But when one copy is working, you see the heterosis.

From Reuters