genome

noun

ge·​nome ˈjē-ˌnōm 

: one haploid set of chromosomes with the genes they contain

broadly : the genetic material of an organism compare proteome

Examples of genome in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Colossal Biosciences has already begun building reference genomes of the tinamou as well as of the emu, Australia’s species of large flightless bird. —Degen Pener, HollywoodReporter, 8 July 2025

The mutagenic forces shaping the genomes of lung cancer in never smokers. —Ian Randall, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 July 2025

The project grew out of Scarpetta’s broader research, which included looking at genomes of over 200 lizard species from around the world. —Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 June 2025

The team sequenced the genome of each bluebottle, then grouped them together in clusters based on their geographic range in the oceans (Figure 1c). —Grrlscientist, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

German Genom, from Gen gene + -om (as in Chromosom chromosome)

First Known Use

1926, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing genome

• genome editing

Rhymes for genome

• biome
• megohm
• nichrome
• noisome
• prodrome
• radome
• rhizome
• shalom
• syndrome
• acrosome
• aerodrome
• catacomb

Medical Definition

genome

noun

ge·​nome ˈjē-ˌnōm 

: one haploid set of chromosomes with the genes they contain

broadly : the genetic material of an organism

The idea behind sequencing an organism's genome—decoding, letter by letter, the message contained in every last one of its genes—is that it would tell us a lot about how the organism works.

—Lori Oliwenstein, Discover