tetraploid

[ te-truh-ploid ]

adjective

, Biology.

1. having a chromosome number that is four times the basic or haploid number.

noun

1. a tetraploid cell or organism.

tetraploid

/ ˈtɛtrəˌplɔɪd /

adjective

1. having four times the haploid number of chromosomes in the nucleus

noun

1. a tetraploid organism, nucleus, or cell

Other Words From

• tetra·ploidy noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of tetraploid¹

First recorded in 1925–30; tetra- + -ploid

Example Sentences

We’re stuck in the past because of our reliance on complicated tetraploid lines and the decline of our agricultural research programs.

From MIT Technology Review

The reason this matters is that when you cross any two tetraploid potatoes, there is so much genetic variance in the offspring that unhelpful mutations can kind of hide.

From MIT Technology Review