TOP

Definition of recessive adjective from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

recessive

adjective
 
/rɪˈsesɪv/
 
/rɪˈsesɪv/
 (biology)
jump to other results
  1. a recessive physical characteristic only appears in a child if it has two genes for this characteristic, one from each parent compare dominant (2)Topics Biologyc2
    Oxford Collocations DictionaryRecessive is used with these nouns:
    • gene
    See full entry
    Word Originlate 17th cent.: from recess, on the pattern of excessive.
See recessive in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee recessive in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
Check pronunciation: recessive

Nearby words

ancient
adjective
 
 
From the Word list
Oxford 3000
A2
Oxford Learner's Dictionaries Word of the Day