n.
Pronunciation: ə - ' l ē l
Function: noun
Etymology: German Allel, short for Allelomorph
Date: 1928
1 : any of the alternative forms of a gene that may occur at a given locus
2 : either of a pair of alternative Mendelian characters (as smooth and wrinkled seed in the pea)
– al · le · lic \ - ' l ē -lik, - ' le- \ adjective
– al · lel · ism \ - ' l ē - ˌ li-z ə m, - ' le- \ noun