[mei.o.sis] n [NL, fr. Gk meiosis diminution, fr. meioun to diminish, fr. meion less; akin to Skt miyate he diminishes] (1550) 1: the presentation of a thing with underemphasis esp. in order to achieve a greater effect: understatement
2: the cellular process that results in the number of chromosomes in gamete-producing cells being reduced to one half and that involves a reduction division in which one of each pair of homologous chromosomes passes to each daughter cell and a mitotic division--compare mitosis -- mei.ot.ic adj -- mei.ot.i.cal.ly adv