meiosis
noun
[ mʌɪˈəʊsɪs ]
• a type of cell division that results in four daughter cells each with half the number of chromosomes of the parent cell, as in the production of gametes and plant spores.
• "the sporophytes of green algae form spores only by meiosis"
• another term for litotes.
Origin:
mid 16th century (in meiosis (sense 2)): modern Latin, from Greek meiōsis, from meioun ‘lessen’, from meiōn ‘less’. meiosis (sense 1) dates from the early 20th century.
