pachytene

noun

pachy·​tene ˈpa-ki-ˌtēn How to pronounce pachytene (audio)
: the stage of meiotic prophase that immediately follows the zygotene and that is characterized by paired chromosomes thickened and visibly divided into chromatids and by the occurrence of crossing-over
pachytene adjective

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary pachy- (from Greek pachys) + -tene

First Known Use

1912, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pachytene was in 1912

Rhymes for pachytene

See All Rhymes for pachytene

Browse Nearby Words

Pachystima
pachytene
Pachytylus
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pachytene.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pachytene. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Medical Definition

pachytene

noun
pachy·​tene ˈpak-i-ˌtēn How to pronounce pachytene (audio)
: the stage of meiotic prophase which immediately follows the zygotene and in which the paired chromosomes are thickened and visibly divided into chromatids
pachytene adjective
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of tilde

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 21

16 Glee-ridden Words from Schitt's Creek
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
alt-684346df967d5
Add A Letter Quiz Pick the letter that goes in the same spot in fou...
See All