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lethal gene

noun

Definition of lethal gene

: a gene that in some (such as homozygous) conditions may prevent development or cause the death of an organism or its germ cells

— called also lethal factor, lethal mutant, lethal mutation

Examples of lethal gene in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

 Shelton is releasing males carrying a lethal gene that eventually kills all female offspring. — Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, "Genetically Modified Moths Come to New York," 8 Sep. 2017 The lethal gene kills the mosquito in two to three days. — jsonline.com, "Mosquito battle gets political," 5 Oct. 2017 The lethal gene in an Oxitec mosquito does come from a lab strain of E. coli. — jsonline.com, "Mosquito battle gets political," 5 Oct. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'lethal gene.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of lethal gene

1939, in the meaning defined above

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More Definitions for lethal gene

lethal gene

noun

Medical Definition of lethal gene

: a gene that in some (as homozygous) conditions may prevent development or cause the death of an organism or its germ cells

— called also lethal factor, lethal mutant, lethal mutation

More from Merriam-Webster on lethal gene

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with lethal gene

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