phenotype

noun

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phe·no·type | \ ˈfē-nə-ˌtīp

plural phenotypes

Definition of phenotype

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : the observable characteristics or traits of an organism that are produced by the interaction of the genotype and the environment : the physical expression of one or more genes Considering that modern maize is a tetraploid, it is remarkable how many single gene mutations cause profound changes in phenotype.— Virginia Walbot A breed is a group of genetically related individuals with a common phenotype—physical characteristics, such as ear and muzzle shapes, and behavioral tendencies, such as those of a retriever to swim or a border collie to herd …— Mark Derr Phenotype is how that DNA physically manifests itself—in this case, as the susceptibility to disease, or the progression of disease, or the susceptibility of the disease itself to treatment, all of which likely have a genetic component.— Gary Taubes

2 : the observable characteristics or traits of a disease … a mild disorder whose clinical phenotype overlaps with that of the Marfan syndrome …— Petros Tsipouras et al.

phenotype

verb

phenotyped; phenotyping; phenotypes

Definition of phenotype (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

: to determine, analyze, or predict all or part of a phenotype of Red cells were phenotyped as M + or M -.— Raymond L. Comenzo et al. … a team … recently decided to examine the data collected so far to determine how many of the phenotyped mice had eye problems.— Michelle Wong The asthma in these patients was not phenotyped. We do not have any information regarding the eosinophil count or other markers such as exhaled oral nitric oxide in these subjects.— Faria Nasim

Other Words from phenotype More Example Sentences Learn More About phenotype

Other Words from phenotype

Noun

phenotypic \ ˌfē-nə-ˈti-pik

\ or less commonly phenotypical \ ˌfē-nə-ˈti-pi-kəl

\ adjective

phenotypic variation phenotypic expression

phenotypically \ ˌfē-nə-ˈti-pi-k(ə-)lē

\ adverb

phenotypically similar populations

Examples of phenotype in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun The breeder grew 50 seeds from the cross-strain, and phenotype number 15 smelled like the after milk from Cap’n Crunch Berries. — Hallie Lieberman, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Apr. 2022 Odds are good, though, that many of these conservatives do not know what a phenotype is and never think about Aryan victory. — Laura Jedeed, The New Republic, 1 Mar. 2022 There’s nothing wrong with being any of those things, but neither is there anything inherently right about lucking into the phenotype long advanced as the ideal of female beauty. — Vogue, 22 Feb. 2022 Natural selection favors the variants on peaks: The average genotype or phenotype of a species should evolve by moving from one peak to the next, ideally along a ridge between them rather than through the valleys. — Quanta Magazine, 11 Jan. 2022 In the late 1990s, biologist Andrew Hendry noticed similarly quick changes in phenotype while studying salmon. — Amit Katwala, Wired, 4 Feb. 2022 The one clue revealed by the suspect’s genome was the unusual phenotype of brown eyes combined with bright red hair. — New York Times, 27 Dec. 2021 Since 2014, the company has offered a service called Snapshot that produces phenotype mug shots of unknown suspects, predicting hair and eye and skin color as well as facial structure. — New York Times, 27 Dec. 2021 That’s largely what’s given them their advantageous phenotype. — Martin Finucane, BostonGlobe.com, 1 Dec. 2021 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'phenotype.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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phenothiazine

phenotype

phenotyping

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Last Updated

4 May 2022

Cite this Entry

“Phenotype.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/phenotype. Accessed 29 May. 2022.

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More Definitions for phenotype

phenotype

noun

phe·no·type | \ ˈfē-nə-ˌtīp

Medical Definition of phenotype

1 : the observable characteristics or traits of an organism that are produced by the interaction of the genotype and the environment : the physical expression of one or more genes Considerable data on ABO blood group phenotypes and alleles now exist showing marked differentiation between geographical areas such as Europe and Asia …— J.A. Beardmore et al. The mice also developed an osteoporotic phenotype that was not due to a defect in osteoblast differentiation, but rather to a marked decline in the output of bone matrix per osteoblast.— Patrick Ducy et al.

2 : the observable characteristics or traits of a disease … a mild disorder whose clinical phenotype overlaps with that of the Marfan syndrome …— Petros Tsipouras et al.

Other Words from phenotype

phenotypic \ ˌfē-nə-ˈtip-ik

\ also phenotypical \ -i-kəl

\ adjective

phenotypically \ -i-k(ə-)lē

\ adverb