- a unit inside a cell that controls a particular quality in a living thing that has been passed on from its parents
- a dominant/recessive gene
- genes that code for the colour of the eyes
Extra ExamplesTopics Biologyb2- Gene mutations are alterations in the DNA code.
- Genes control the development of an embryo.
- The gene is passed on to their children.
- We may be able to identify the genes responsible for disease resistance.
- people who carry the gene that causes this disease
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- dominant
- recessive
- abnormal
- …
- carry
- have
- pass on
- …
- affect something
- be responsible for something
- cause something
- …
- pool
- defect
- mutation
- …
- gene for
Word Originearly 20th cent.: from German Gen, from Pangen, a supposed ultimate unit of heredity (from Greek pan- ‘all’ + genos ‘race, kind, offspring’).Definitions on the go
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Idioms
See gene in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee gene in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic Englishbe in the genes
- to be a quality that your parents have passed on to you
- I've always enjoyed music—it's in the genes.
Check pronunciation:
gene