| Front | meiosis \my-O-sis\ |
|---|---|
| Back | noun 1. Genetics. The process of cell division in sexually reproducing organisms that reduces the number of chromosomes in reproductive cells, leading to the production of gametes in animals and spores in plants. 2. Rhetorical understatement. [From Greek meiosis (lessening), from meioun (to lessen), from meion (less). Meiosis is a figure of speech in which underemphasis is used to achieve a greater effect, for example, "It took a few days to build the Great Wall of China." Also see litotes. Greek meiosis, diminution, from meioun, to diminish, from meion, less.] "At times I have a problem with this understatement. Understatement is effective only when there is real purpose to the meiosis." - James Gardner; Cold Mountain; National Review (New York); Dec 31, 1997. "I took two years of biology in secondary school and couldn't today tell you the difference between meiosis and mitosis without a little help from Google, yet no one's arguing that studying cellular processes is a waste of precious school resources." - Kate Sommers-Dawes; Foreign Language in High Schools is Worthwhile; Washington Post; May 13, 2010. |
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