lethal gene
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of lethal gene
First recorded in 1935–40
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.
He believes resources would be better spent on other control measures: insecticides, sanitary measures such as eliminating standing water in homes, and even the experimental release of genetically engineered mosquitoes to spread a lethal gene.
From Science Magazine • Oct. 25, 2016
They have been genetically engineered to pass a lethal gene to their offspring, which die before they can reach adulthood.
From New York Times • Jan. 30, 2016
Genetically altered Aedes aegypti mosquitos developed by the biotech firm Oxitec carry a lethal gene that prevents their female offspring from maturing.
From Science Magazine • Oct. 15, 2015
The company's patented technique involves the insertion of a lethal gene into insect embryos.
From BBC • Feb. 24, 2015
When the modified mosquitoes mate with the local A. aegyptimosquitoes, they spread the lethal gene through the population, in theory causing it to crash.
From Scientific American • Aug. 8, 2011
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
