law of segregation

noun

, Genetics.

1. the principle, originated by Gregor Mendel, stating that during the production of gametes the two copies of each hereditary factor segregate so that offspring acquire one factor from each parent.

law of segregation

1. See under Mendel's law

Word History and Origins

Origin of law of segregation¹

First recorded in 1940–45

Example Sentences

Parks is often portrayed as a quiet seamstress bullied by the cruel laws of segregation.

From Newsweek

Instead, he said, "we came back to a very rigid set of racial lines that were being drawn. The laws of segregation were being intensified."

From Los Angeles Times

The great obstacle to be overcome in carrying out the law of segregation consists in the fact that the Hawaiians do not appreciate and refuse to be convinced that leprosy is a communicable disease.

From Project Gutenberg

The laws of segregation began to fall away; the voting rolls of blacks in the South began to fill.

From Washington Post

This perfectly simple principle is known as the law of segregation, or the law of the purity of the germ cells.

From Project Gutenberg