gene

From German Gen, from Ancient Greek γενεά (geneá, “generation, descent”), from the aorist infinitive of γίγνομαι (gígnomai, “I come into being”). Coined by Danish botanist Wilhelm Ludwig Johannsen in 1909, in a German-language publication, from the last syllable of pangene.^[1]

• enPR: jēn, IPA^(key): /d͡ʒiːn/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -iːn
• Homophones: Gene, Jean

gene (plural genes)

1. (genetics) A theoretical unit of heredity of living organisms; a gene may take several values and in principle predetermines a precise trait of an organism's form (phenotype), such as hair color.

   Coordinate terms: cistron (sometimes synonymous); phene

   • 2013 June 21, Karen McVeigh, “US rules human genes can't be patented”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 2, page 10:

     The US supreme court has ruled unanimously that natural human genes cannot be patented, a decision that scientists and civil rights campaigners said removed a major barrier to patient care and medical innovation.

2. (molecular biology) A segment of DNA or RNA from a cell's or an organism's genome, that may take several forms and thus parameterizes a phenomenon, in general the structure of a protein; locus.

   A change in a gene is reflected in the protein or RNA molecule that it codes for.

   • 2019, Bill Bryson, The Body: A Guide for Occupants, Black Swan (2020), page 7:

     A length of DNA is divided into segments called chromosomes and shorter individual units called genes.

In the simplest case and in principle, a gene locus is supposed to be the physical reality corresponding to the theoretical gene unit of heredity; in practice, things are far more complicated and confused, which is well known and acknowledged. However, these questions are the subject of still very active scientific research, as well as the topic of both scientific and philosophical questions, especially on the real compatibility between both senses of the term.

• pangene

• locus
• allele
• dominant
• recessive

• gene on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

• Enge

From French gêne.

• IPA^(key): /sjeːnə/,

gene c (singular definite genen, plural indefinite gener)

1. inconvenience, nuisance (something that bothers)

   Røgen fra skorstenen er til gene for naboerne.

   The smoke from the chimney is bothering the neighbours.

• “gene” in Den Danske Ordbog

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -eːnə

gene

1. inflection of geen:
   1. masculine/feminine singular attributive
   2. definite neuter singular attributive
   3. plural attributive

• geen, neeg, nege

Italian Wikipedia has an article on:

gene

Wikipedia ^it

• IPA^(key): /ˈd͡ʒɛ.ne/
• Rhymes: -ɛne
• Hyphenation: gè‧ne

From German Gen.

gene m (plural geni)

1. (genetics) gene

• genetica
• genetico
• genetista
• genico
• genotipo

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

gene f pl

1. plural of gena

From Old Dutch *gēn, from Proto-Germanic *jainaz.

• IPA^(key): /ˈɣeːnə/

gêne

1. that over there, yonder

• Dutch: geen

• “ghene (II)”, in Vroegmiddelnederlands Woordenboek, 2000
• Verwijs, E., Verdam, J. (1885–1929) “gene”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, →ISBN

• Hyphenation: ge‧ne

gene m (plural genes)

1. (genetics) gene

• genética
• genético

• “gene”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2025

• IPA^(key): /ˈd͡ʒe.ne/
• Rhymes: -ene
• Hyphenation: ge‧ne

gene f

1. inflection of genă (“gene”):
   1. indefinite nominative/accusative plural
   2. indefinite genitive/dative singular

gene f

1. inflection of geană (“eyelash”):
   1. indefinite nominative/accusative plural
   2. indefinite genitive/dative singular

gene m (plural genes)

1. gene

   Synonym: gen

From Old Turkic *yana (“again”), from Proto-Turkic *yan- (“to return, turn back”).

gene

1. (colloquial) again

   Synonym: yine

gene

1. dative singular of gen