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gene

n.
US //ˈdʒin// UK //dʒˈiːn// gene
  1. 1 unit of heredity (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Science

    a part of a cell that is passed from parents to children and determines how they look and grow.

    a functional unit of heredity that occupies a specific location on a chromosome and determines a particular characteristic in an organism.

    Example

    She has the gene for red hair, just like her mother and grandmother.

    Example

    Scientists have identified a specific gene that may increase a person's risk of developing certain heart conditions later in life.
    • genetic factor
  2. 2 DNA segment (n.)
    C1 Advanced Technical Science

    a specific piece of DNA that contains the instructions for making proteins in your body.

    a sequence of DNA or RNA which codes for a molecule that has a function, such as a protein or an RNA molecule.

    Example

    The researchers are studying how this gene turns on and off in different cells.

    Example

    The precise mapping of the human genome has allowed researchers to isolate the individual genes responsible for synthesising essential metabolic enzymes.

    Usage

    Often used with verbs like 'express', 'encode', or 'sequence' in technical contexts.
    • DNA sequence
    • cistron
Origin

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

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Word family

Last updated June 19, 2026