clone
UK /kləʊn/ · US /kloʊn/ noun, verb
Forms clones cloning cloned clon
- noun A living organism (originally a plant) produced asexually from a single ancestor, to which it is genetically identical. “This new species is a clone of the mimosa plant.”
- noun (cytology) A group of identical cells derived from a single cell.
- noun A copy or imitation of something already existing, especially when designed to simulate it. “The computer manufacturer produced IBM PC clones in the 1990s.”
- noun (informal) A person who is exactly like or very similar to another person, in terms of looks or behavior.
- noun (LGBTQ, slang) A Castro clone.
- verb (transitive) To create a clone of. “The scientists were able to clone a sheep.”
Synonyms
Etymology
Coined (in botany) in 1903, based on Ancient Greek κλών (klṓn, “twig”). Figurative use from the 1970s.
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 — from the Wiktionary entry “clone”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details