■ noun
1》 Biology an organism or cell, or a group of organisms or cells, produced asexually from one ancestor to which they are genetically identical.
2》 a person or thing regarded as an exact copy of another.
3》 informal (within gay culture) a homosexual man who adopts an exaggeratedly macho appearance.
■ verb
1》 propagate (an organism or cell) as a ~.
↘ Biochemistry replicate (a fragment of DNA placed in an organism).
2》 make an identical copy of.
3》 illegally copy the security codes from (a mobile phone) to others as a way of obtaining free calls.
Derivatives
clonal adjective
clonality noun
~r noun
Origin
early 20th cent.: from Gk klōn 'twig'.