plural clones
1
biology
: a plant or animal that is grown from one cell of its parent and that has exactly the same genes as its parent
the clone of an adult female sheep
2
: a product (such as a computer) that is a copy of another product produced by a well-known company
a company that manufactures computer clones = a clone-maker
3
: a person or thing that appears to be an exact copy of another person or thing
I am not a clone [=duplicate] of my father. He and I are very different people.
clones; cloned; cloning
: to make an exact copy of (a person, animal, or plant) : to make a clone of (something or someone)
Do you think scientists should clone humans?
a plant produced by cloning
Cite this Entry
“Clone.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/clone. Accessed 16 Apr. 2026.
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