meiosis: Meaning and Definition of

mei•o•sis

Pronunciation: (mī-ō'sis), [key]
— n.
  1. part of the process of gamete formation, consisting of chromosome conjugation and two cell divisions, in the course of which the diploid chromosome number becomes reduced to the haploid. Cf.
    1. belittlement.
    2. expressive understatement, esp. litotes.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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