allele

noun

al·​lele ə-ˈlēl 

1

: any of the alternative forms of a gene that may occur at a given locus (see locus sense 3)

2

: either of a pair of alternative Mendelian characters (see character entry 1 sense 1b(3)) (such as smooth and wrinkled seed in the pea)

allelic

ə-ˈlē-lik 

-ˈle-

adjective

allelism

ə-ˈlē-ˌli-zəm 

-ˈle-

noun

Examples of allele in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Among domestic dogs, 75 percent of those under about 30 pounds had two copies of the IGF-1 gene variant that the researchers termed the C allele and 75 percent of dogs that weighed more than around 50 pounds had two copies of the T allele. —Alex Fox, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Jan. 2022

The allele found in Europeans is dominant in West Asia, and present as frequencies as high as ~50% as far south and east as Sri Lanka. —Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 11 Sep. 2013

This locus has an allele within it that is almost disjoint in frequency between Europeans and Sub-Saharan Africans. —Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 11 Sep. 2013

In wild canids, wolves usually had two copies of the large allele with a few exceptions, while non-wolf species including foxes, jackals and African hunting dogs all had two copies of the small allele. —Alex Fox, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Jan. 2022

This mutation creates a point of variation, resulting in what the team describes as either a small allele or a large allele. —NBC News, 27 Jan. 2022

The toy and miniature schnauzers analyzed in the study contained the small allele, while the giant schnauzers contained the large allele. —NBC News, 27 Jan. 2022

The places where those repeats occur on a chromosome are called alleles. —Gina Barton, USA TODAY, 17 June 2023

According to Blum, a particular genetic variant of the D2R gene, the A1 allele of the Taq1A polymorphism, is the cause of many, perhaps even most, cases of addiction. —Neuroskeptic, Discover Magazine, 5 July 2015

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Word History

Etymology

perhaps as back-formation from allelism, from allel- (in allelomorph) + -ism

First Known Use

1921, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing allele

• multiple allele

• multiple allele

Kids Definition

allele

noun

al·​lele ə-ˈlē(ə)l 

: one of several forms of a gene that determine alternate forms of one or more genetic traits and occupy identical places on two chromosomes having the same genes arranged in the same order

allelic

-ˈlē-lik 

-ˈlel-ik

adjective

Medical Definition

allele

noun

al·​lele ə-ˈlē(ə)l 

1

: any of the alternative forms of a gene that may occur at a given locus

2

: either of a pair of alternative Mendelian characters (as ability versus inability to taste the chemical phenylthiocarbamide)

allelic

-ˈlē-lik  -ˈlel-ik 

adjective

allelism

-ˈlē(ə)l-ˌiz-əm  -ˈlel-ˌiz- 

noun