n.
Pronunciation: ' pa-ki- ˌ t ē n
Function: noun
Etymology: International Scientific Vocabulary pachy- (fr. Greek pachys ) + -tene
Date: 1912
: 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