meiosis
2 synonyms and 2 antonyms for meiosis, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — A type of cell division that produces four sex cells, each with half the number of chromosomes of the parent cell. It happens in two rounds and shuffles genetic material, so no two gametes are identical.
Synonyms
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Synonyms by Meaning
1. noun
A type of cell division that produces four sex cells, each with half the number of chromosomes of the parent cell. It happens in two rounds and shuffles genetic material, so no two gametes are identical.
“Meiosis halves the chromosome number so that fertilisation restores it.”
Opposites
2. noun
A figure of speech in which something is deliberately described as smaller or less important than it is, for ironic effect.
“Calling the hurricane "a spot of weather" is meiosis.”
Opposites
How to Use Meiosis
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
Technical; the biological sense dominates in general use, the rhetorical sense appears in literary criticism.
Etymology
From Greek meiosis 'a lessening', from meioun 'to make smaller'.
Full origin of meiosis →Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between meiosis and mitosis?
Mitosis makes two identical body cells with the full chromosome count; meiosis makes four genetically varied sex cells with half the count. Mitosis is for growth and repair, meiosis is for reproduction.
How many cells does meiosis produce?
Four haploid cells from one diploid parent cell, through two successive divisions called meiosis I and meiosis II.
Why is meiosis important?
It halves the chromosome number so that a sperm and egg can combine without doubling it each generation, and its crossing over and independent assortment create the genetic variation that evolution acts on.