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

After reviewing the work, Feng Zhang, a CRISPR genome-editing pioneer and professor at MIT and the Broad Institute, said the finding warrants further investigation. — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 23 Sep. 2026

Sequencing a genome from old, rootless hair was once impossible, because the DNA within them has broken into very short segments. — Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026

Over time, this has led retrotransposons to make up large proportions of a host genome in some cases; for example, nearly half of the human genome is retrotransposons. — Jake Buehler, Quanta Magazine, 21 Sep. 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