zygosome, n.

zygosome
http://www.oed.com/dictionary/zygosome_n%3Ftab%3Dmeaning_and_use
First published 1921; not fully revised

# zygosomenoun

## Factsheet

### What does the noun zygosome mean?

There is one meaning in OED's entry for the noun zygosome. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definition, usage, and quotation evidence.

#### Entry status

OED is undergoing a continuous programme of revision to modernize and improve definitions. This entry has not yet been fully revised.

### How is the noun zygosome pronounced?

#### British English

/ˈzʌɪɡəsəʊm/
ZIGH-guh-sohm
/ˈzɪɡəsəʊm/
ZIG-uh-sohm

#### U.S. English

/ˈzaɪɡəˌsoʊm/
ZIGH-guh-sohm
/ˈzɪɡəˌsoʊm/
ZIG-uh-sohm

### Where does the noun zygosome come from?

Earliest known use

1900s

The earliest known use of the noun zygosome is in the 1900s.

OED's earliest evidence for zygosome is from 1905, in Annals of Botany.

### Nearby entries

1. zygonema, n. 1911–
2. zygoneurous, adj. 1901–
3. zygophiuran, adj. & n. 1892–
4. zygophore, n. 1904–
5. zygophyllaceous, adj. 1887–
6. zygophyte, n. 1885–
7. zygopleura, n. 1883–
8. zygopterid, n. & adj. 1900–
9. zygosis, n. 1880–
10. zygosity, n. 1952–
11. zygosome, n.1905–
12. zygosperm, n. 1880–
13. zygosphenal, adj. 1854–
14. zygosphene, n. 1854–
15. zygosphere, n. 1880–
16. zygospondyline, adj. 1892–
17. zygospore, n. 1864–
18. zygosporic, adj. 1906–
19. zygostat, n. 1623
20. zygostatical, adj. 1656
21. zygostyle, n. 1881–

## Etymology

< German zygosom (E. Strasburger 1904, in Sitzungsber. d. k. Preuss. Akad. d. Wissensch. 606): see ‑some comb. form.

## Meaning & use

Cytology.

1. 1905–
   = bivalent adj. & n.
   1. 1905

      > A similar operation of the law of chance has been suggested by Strasburger ('04) in the separation of the chromatin granules as a result of the division of the ‘zygosome’.

      Annals of Botany vol. 19 249
   2. 1910

      > Grégoire.., while agreeing with the parasynaptic chromosome formation, put a different interpretation on to the ‘gamosomes’ and ‘zygosomes’ of Strasburger and Miyake.

      Annals of Botany vol. 24 727
   3. 1974

      > The varying amounts of the q segments present in the zygosome may account in large measure for the physical and mental deviation of these mongoloid patients from the usual spectrum of characteristics typical of mongoloids bearing three independent chromosomes 21.

      Journal of Heredity vol. 65 257/1
   cell biology genetics
   1. trivalency 1888–
   2. zygosome 1905–
      = bivalent, adj. & n.
   3. bivalence 1909–
      In various subjects: the quality of being bivalent; bivalency; spec. in Logic, principle of bivalence (see quots.).
   4. zygonema 1911–
      †a. A chromosome at zygotene; b. = zygotene, n.; now rare.
   5. trivalent 1922–
      Cytology. A multivalent consisting of three chromosomes.
   6. quadrivalent 1923–
      Cell Biology. A multivalent consisting of four chromosomes.
   7. quinquevalent 1926–
      Genetics. A multivalent involving five chromosomes.
   8. multivalent 1929–
      Cell Biology. An association of three or more completely or partly homologous chromosomes during the first division of meiosis.
   9. nullisomic 1932–
      A nullisomic individual or variety.
   10. bivalent 1937–
       Biology. Applied to homologous chromosomes united in pairs at the first division of meiosis. Hence as n.
   11. nullisome 1944–
       = nullisomic, n. Also: the missing chromosome of a nullisomic individual or variety.
   View in Historical Thesaurus

## Pronunciation

### British English

/ˈzʌɪɡəsəʊm/
ZIGH-guh-sohm
/ˈzɪɡəsəʊm/
ZIG-uh-sohm

### U.S. English

/ˈzaɪɡəˌsoʊm/
ZIGH-guh-sohm
/ˈzɪɡəˌsoʊm/
ZIG-uh-sohm

####

##### Consonants

- ppea
- ttea
- kkey
- bbuy
- ddye
- ɡguy
- tʃchore
- dʒjay
- ffore
- θthaw
- ssore
- ʃshore
- vvee
- ðthee
- zzee
- ʒbeige
- xloch
- hhay
- llay
- ɬrhingyll
- rray
- wway
- jyore
- mmay
- nnay
- ŋsing

Some consonants can take the function of the vowel in unstressed syllables. Where necessary, a syllabic marker diacritic is used, hence /ˈpɛtl/ but /ˈpɛtl̩i/.

##### Vowels

- iːfleece
- ihappy
- ɪkit
- ɛdress
- atrap, bath
- ɑːstart, palm, bath
- ɒlot
- ɔːthought, force
- ʌstrut
- ʊfoot
- uːgoose
- əletter
- əːnurse
- ɪənear
- ɛːsquare
- ʊəcure
- eɪface
- ʌɪpride
- aʊmouth
- əʊgoat
- ɔɪvoice
- ãgratin
- ɒ̃salon
- ᵻ(/ɪ/-/ə/)
- ᵿ(/ʊ/-/ə/)

##### Other symbols

- The symbol ˈ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with primary stress.
- The symbol ˌ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with secondary stress.
- Round brackets ( ) in a transcription indicate that the symbol within the brackets is optional.

View the pronunciation model here.

####

##### Consonants

- ppea
- ttea
- kkey
- bbuy
- ddye*
- ɡguy
- tʃchore
- dʒjay
- ffore
- θthaw
- ssore
- ʃshore
- vvee
- ðthee
- zzee
- ʒbeige
- xloch
- hhay
- llay
- rray
- wway
- jyore
- mmay
- nnay
- ŋsing

* /d/ also represents a 'tapped' /t/ as in

Some consonants can take the function of the vowel in unstressed syllables. Where necessary, a syllabic marker diacritic is used, hence /ˈpɛd(ə)l/ but /ˈpɛdl̩i/.

##### Vowels

- ifleece, happy
- ɪkit
- ɛdress
- ætrap, bath
- ɑlot, palm, cloth, thought
- ɑrstart
- ɔcloth, thought
- ɔrnorth, force
- ʊfoot
- ugoose
- əstrut, comma
- ərnurse, letter
- ɪ(ə)rnear
- ɛ(ə)rsquare
- ʊ(ə)rcure
- eɪface
- aɪpride
- aʊmouth
- oʊgoat
- ɔɪvoice
- ɑ̃gratin
- æ̃salon
- ᵻ(/ɪ/-/ə/)
- ᵿ(/ʊ/-/ə/)

##### Other symbols

- The symbol ˈ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with primary stress.
- The symbol ˌ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with secondary stress.
- Round brackets ( ) in a transcription indicate that the symbol within the brackets is optional.

View the pronunciation model here.

####

Simple text respell breaks words into syllables, separated by a hyphen. The syllable which carries the primary stress is written in capital letters. This key covers both British and U.S. English Simple Text Respell.

##### Consonants

b, d, f, h, k, l, m, n, p, r, s, t, v, w and z have their standard English values

- gguy
- jjay
- yyore
- chchore
- khloch
- shshore
- ththaw
- dhthee
- zhbeige

##### Vowels

- atrap
- ahpalm
- airsquare
- arstart
- arrcarry (British only)
- awthought
- ayface
- a(ng)gratin
- edress
- eefleece
- eerdeer
- errmerry
- ikit
- ighpride
- irrmirror
- olot (British only)
- ohgoat
- oogoose
- oorcure
- orforce
- orrsorry (British only)
- owmouth
- oyvoice
- o(ng)salon
- ustrut
- uhletter
- urnurse
- urrhurry
- uufoot

Originally published as part of the entry for zygo-, comb. form

zygo-, comb. form was first published in 1921; not fully revised.