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

Bond said the spider is the first member of its family to have its full genome sequenced. — Sacbee.com, 3 Nov. 2026

The authors used data from 864 dogs collected in the Dog Aging Project to map patterns of DNA methylation (which influences how much certain genes are turned on or off) across the entire genome. — ArsTechnica, 2 Nov. 2026

Scientists inserted genes associated with Alzheimer’s into mouse genomes, breeding animals that had high levels of amyloid in their brains; the mice then began to struggle with spatial navigation. — Manvir Singh, New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2026

It’s taken nearly 20 years, but researchers finally sequenced the arachnid’s entire genome. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 28 Oct. 2026

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
• nichrome
• noisome
• prodrome
• radome
• rhizome
• shalom
• syndrome
• acrosome
• aerodrome
• catacomb
• centrosome

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