polygene

[ pol-ee-jeen ]
/ ˈpɒl iˌdʒin /

noun Genetics

one of a group of nonallelic genes that together control a quantitative characteristic in an organism.

QUIZZES

HEED THE VOX POPULI, AND TAKE THIS WORD OF THE DAY QUIZ!

Test your memory on these verbal firecrackers from the week of June 29 to July 5!
Question 1 of 7
anchorite
a granular metamorphic rock.
a person who has retired to a solitary place for a life of religious seclusion.
a hobble or fetter for a horse or other animal.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT
Also called multiple factor, quantitative gene.

Origin of polygene

1940–45; back formation from polygenic; see poly-, gene, -ic

OTHER WORDS FROM polygene

pol·y·gen·ic [pol-ee-jen-ik] /ˌpɒl iˈdʒɛn ɪk/, adjective

Words nearby polygene

polygamic, polygamist, polygamophile, polygamous, polygamy, polygene, polygenesis, polygenetic, polygenic, polygenic inheritance, polygenism
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

British Dictionary definitions for polygene

polygene
/ (ˈpɒlɪˌdʒiːn) /

noun

any of a group of genes that each produce a small quantitative effect on a particular characteristic of the phenotype, such as height
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

Medical definitions for polygene

polygene
[ pŏl′ē-jēn′ ]

n.

One of a group of nonallelic genes acting together to produce quantitative variations of a particular character.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.