MEIOSIS (meioses)

Pronunciation (US):

• MEIOSIS (noun)
  The noun MEIOSIS has 2 senses:

1. (genetics) cell division that produces reproductive cells in sexually reproducing organisms; the nucleus divides into four nuclei each containing half the chromosome number (leading to gametes in animals and spores in plants)
2. understatement for rhetorical effect (especially when expressing an affirmative by negating its contrary)

  Familiarity information: MEIOSIS used as a noun is rare.

• MEIOSIS (noun)

Meaning:

(genetics) cell division that produces reproductive cells in sexually reproducing organisms; the nucleus divides into four nuclei each containing half the chromosome number (leading to gametes in animals and spores in plants)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural processes

Synonyms:

meiosis; miosis; reduction division

Hypernyms ("meiosis" is a kind of...):

cell division; cellular division (the process in reproduction and growth by which a cell divides to form daughter cells)

Meronyms (parts of "meiosis"):

segregation ((genetics) the separation of paired alleles during meiosis so that members of each pair of alleles appear in different gametes)

prophase (the first stage of meiosis)

metaphase (the second stage of meiosis)

karyokinesis (organic process consisting of the division of the nucleus of a cell during mitosis or meiosis)

cytokinesis (organic process consisting of the division of the cytoplasm of a cell following karyokinesis bringing about the separation into two daughter cells)

anaphase (the stage of meiosis or mitosis when chromosomes move toward opposite ends of the nuclear spindle)

telophase (the final stage of meiosis when the chromosomes move toward opposite ends of the nuclear spindle)

Domain category:

genetic science; genetics (the branch of biology that studies heredity and variation in organisms)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "meiosis"):

nondisjunction (meiosis in which there is a failure of paired homologous chromosomes to separate; results in an abnormal number of chromosomes in the daughter cells)

Meaning:

Understatement for rhetorical effect (especially when expressing an affirmative by negating its contrary)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

litotes; meiosis

Context example:

saying 'I was not a little upset' when you mean 'I was very upset' is an example of litotes

Hypernyms ("meiosis" is a kind of...):

understatement (a statement that is restrained in ironic contrast to what might have been said)

rhetorical device (a use of language that creates a literary effect (but often without regard for literal significance))