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

For the first time since 1982, scientists have formally identified a new bird species in Japan — not by spotting an unfamiliar creature in the wild, but by examining what lies hidden in its genome and encoded in its song. —Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 26 Mar. 2026

Among agrarian humans, endosperm left its mark on our genomes. —Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026

The study, which was published in the journal Nature Communications, involved sequencing the genome of 54 grape seeds dating from the Bronze Age — from around 2,300 BC — to the Middle Ages. —CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026

In 2019, Spanish geneticists mapped the genomes of bitter and sweet almonds and determined that a single gene was responsible for almond bitterness. —Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 14 Mar. 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
• 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