phenotype
/ˈfiːnətaɪp/ IELTSAcademic
noun
A phenotype is the visible or measurable traits of an organism. These traits come from its genes and its environment.
- The plant's phenotype changed in different soil.
- Eye colour is part of a person's phenotype.
- Scientists studied the phenotype of the bacteria.
Adinary Nuance
Use phenotype when you mean the traits you can observe or measure. It is not the same as genotype, which means the genetic code itself. Writers use phenotype in biology, medicine, and research, not for everyday appearance alone.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- kiểu hình
- Spanish
- fenotipo
- Chinese
- 表型
- Japanese
- 表現型
- Korean
- 표현형
Etymology
Phenotype comes from German, based on Greek roots: phainein, meaning “to show,” and typos, meaning “type.” It entered biology in the early 1900s.
Common phrases
phenotype expressionphenotype and genotypedifferent phenotypesobservable phenotype
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- What is the difference between phenotype and genotype?
- Genotype is the genetic code. Phenotype is what you can see or measure.
- Is phenotype used in everyday English?
- Not much. It is mostly used in science, medicine, and academic writing.
- Can phenotype mean a person's looks?
- Sometimes, but only in a scientific context. It usually means more than just looks.