heredity
Use Heredity in a sentence
ɪ noun, plural he·red·i·ties. Biology.
1.
the transmission of genetic characters from parents to offspring: it is dependent upon the segregation and recombination of genes during meiosis and fertilization and results in the genesis of a new individual similar to others of its kind but exhibiting certain variations resulting from the particular mix of genes and their interactions with the environment.
2.
the genetic characters so transmitted.
Compare congenital.
Origin:
1530–40; < Middle French heredite < Latin hērēditāt- (stem of hērēditās) inheritance, equivalent to hērēd- (stem of hērēs) heir + -itāt- -ity
1530–40; < Middle French heredite < Latin hērēditāt- (stem of hērēditās) inheritance, equivalent to hērēd- (stem of hērēs) heir + -itāt- -ity
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To heredity
Collins
World English Dictionary
heredity (hɪˈrɛdɪtɪ) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n , pl -ties | |
| 1. | the transmission from one generation to another of genetic factors that determine individual characteristics: responsible for the resemblances between parents and offspring |
| 2. | the sum total of the inherited factors or their characteristics in an organism |
| [C16: from Old French heredite, from Latin hērēditās inheritance; see | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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00:10
Heredity
is always a great word to know.
So is interrobang. Does it mean:
| a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison. |
| a printed punctuation mark (‽), available only in some typefaces, designed to combine the question mark (?) and the exclamation point (!), indicating a mixture of query and interjection, as after a rhetorical question. |
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
heredity
1540, from M.Fr. hérédité, from L. hereditatem (nom. hereditas) "condition of being an heir," from heres (gen. heredis) "heir," from PIE base *ghe- "to be empty, left behind" (cf. Gk. khera "widow"). Legal sense of "inheritable quality or character" first recorded 1784; the modern
biological sense seems to be found first in 1863, introduced by Herbert Spencer.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary
heredity he·red·i·ty (hə-rěd'ĭ-tē)
n.
The genetic transmission of characteristics from parent to offspring.
One's genetic constitution.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
| heredity (hə-rěd'ĭ-tē) Pronunciation Key
The passage of biological traits or characteristics from parents to offspring through the inheritance of genes. |
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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American Heritage
Cultural Dictionary
heredity definition
The passing of characteristics from parents to children. (See genetics.)
The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Example sentences
The actual cholesterol levels are determined by a number of factors, including heredity, diet and exercise.
When you do any work in this area, the question of heredity versus environment comes up.
Absolutely no doubt environment plays a role, but so does heredity.
The basic unit of heredity is the gene.
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