1 phenotype | Definition of phenotype

phenotype

noun
phe·​no·​type | \ ˈfÄ“-nÉ™-ËŒtÄ«p How to pronounce phenotype (audio) \

Definition of phenotype

: the observable properties of an organism that are produced by the interaction of the genotype and the environment

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Other Words from phenotype

phenotypic \ ËŒfÄ“-​nÉ™-​ˈti-​pik How to pronounce phenotypic (audio) \ or less commonly phenotypical \ ËŒfÄ“-​nÉ™-​ˈti-​pi-​kÉ™l How to pronounce phenotypical (audio) \ adjective
phenotypically \ ËŒfÄ“-​nÉ™-​ˈti-​pi-​k(É™-​)lÄ“ How to pronounce phenotypically (audio) \ adverb

Examples of phenotype in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Some evolutionary biologists have hoped to use the scores to get a better picture of the phenotypes that were encoded in ancient genomes, and to better understand histories of adaptation in various populations. Quanta Magazine, "New Turmoil Over Predicting the Effects of Genes," 23 Apr. 2019 So the new allelic frequencies will remain p and q in the next generation, and will keep the phenotype ratios stable indefinitely, as long as one allele is not favored by evolution above its initial level. Quanta Magazine, "Solution: ‘Are Genes Selfish or Cooperative?’," 29 Sep. 2017 Second, in 2006, researchers demonstrated that gut microbes could cause changes in a host’s phenotype, such as obesity. Jason Pontin, WIRED, "The 19th-Century Crank Who Tried to Tell Us About the Microbiome," 15 June 2018 Since then the case has remained cold — but on Saturday came the new piece of evidence: a phenotype of the person police believed killed O’Keefe. Meagan Flynn, Washington Post, "‘My killer was never found’: Police live tweet a murdered girl’s last day alive in 1973," 9 July 2018 Private investigator Jason Jensen holds a phenotype report at his office Friday, June 15, 2018, in Salt Lake City. Washington Post, "Investigators say DNA database can be goldmine for old cases," 16 June 2018 And anything pertaining to history of human migrations, or things that play into traditional classifications of racial phenotypes like facial morphology or skin color. Michael Price, Science | AAAS, "‘It’s a toxic place.’ How the online world of white nationalists distorts population genetics," 22 May 2018 Genes, as well as the environment, influence a phenotype. Ben Guarino, BostonGlobe.com, "This tiny skeleton found in Chile might look like an alien’s, but genetics studies are uncovering the tragic, true story," 23 Mar. 2018 According to Parabon's website, the phenotype report called Snapshot was built for law enforcement agencies and the military with funding from the U.S. Department of Defense's Threat Reduction Agency. Cassie Dickman, sacbee, "Could DNA technology help identify body from dumpster fire nearly 20 years ago? | The Sacramento Bee," 26 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'phenotype.' 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 phenotype

1910, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for phenotype

German Phänotypus, from Greek phainein to show + typos type

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More Definitions for phenotype

phenotype

noun
phe·​no·​type | \ ˈfÄ“-nÉ™-ËŒtÄ«p How to pronounce phenotype (audio) \

Medical Definition of phenotype

: the observable properties of an organism that are produced by the interaction of the genotype and the environment — compare genotype sense 2

Other Words from phenotype

phenotypic \ ËŒfÄ“-​nÉ™-​ˈtip-​ik How to pronounce phenotypic (audio) \ also phenotypical \ -​i-​kÉ™l How to pronounce phenotypical (audio) \ adjective
phenotypically \ -​i-​k(É™-​)lÄ“ How to pronounce phenotypically (audio) \ adverb

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More from Merriam-Webster on phenotype

Nglish: Translation of phenotype for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of phenotype for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about phenotype