crossing over

American

noun

Genetics.

the interchange of corresponding chromatid segments of homologous chromosomes with their linked genes.

crossing over British

noun

biology the interchange of sections between pairing homologous chromosomes during the diplotene stage of meiosis. It results in the rearrangement of genes and produces variation in the inherited characteristics of the offspring See also linkage

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

crossing over Scientific

/ krô′sĭng-ō′vər /

The exchange of genetic material between homologous chromosomes that occurs during meiosis and contributes to genetic variability.

Etymology

Origin of crossing over

First recorded in 1910–15

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Elisha and his remaining crew had spent eighty-four days crossing over ice, until they found open waters and set sail on the smaller whaling boats.

From Literature

Once hunted to extinction in France, wolves began crossing over from Italy after gaining protected status under the 1979 Bern Convention.

From Barron's

She and a group of friends had gone backcountry mountain climbing and skiing, crossing over glaciers and racing down snowy peaks hundreds of miles away from Mount St. Helens.

From Literature

The band was a key part of a phenomenon known as Hallyu, which describes South Korean pop culture crossing over to the west.

From BBC

We finally parked underneath the Little Village Arch, a colonial-style gateway crossing over the part of 26th Street where Uber dropped me off earlier.

From Los Angeles Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023