# Morgan

/ˈmɔɹɡən/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/morgan
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. a person's name

noun · CEFR B1

a common first name for both men and women, or a last name.

For teachers: a common unisex given name or surname of Welsh origin.

- Morgan joined our team last week as the new project manager.
- The professor noted that the surname Morgan is particularly prevalent in Wales and among the Welsh diaspora in North America.

### 3. a unit of genetic distance

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a unit used by scientists to measure the distance between genes on a chromosome.

For teachers: a unit for expressing the relative distance between genes on a chromosome, defined by the frequency of recombination.

- The scientists measured the distance between the two genes in morgans.
- In modern genomics, the centimorgan is more frequently employed than the morgan to map the precise loci of specific genetic markers.

### 4. a British sports car

noun · CEFR C1 · British English

a type of classic British sports car made by the Morgan Motor Company.

For teachers: a vehicle manufactured by the Morgan Motor Company, known for its traditional design and hand-assembled wood-framed chassis.

- He spent his weekends restoring a vintage Morgan in his garage.
- The enthusiast proudly displayed his three-wheeled Morgan, a design that remains iconic within the history of British automotive engineering.

## Examples

- The distance between these two genes is exactly one Morgan.
- Geneticists use the Morgan to calculate the frequency of recombination during meiosis in complex organisms.
- While the centimorgan is more frequently cited in modern mapping studies, the Morgan remains the fundamental unit for quantifying the physical linkage between loci on a single chromosome.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.