ˈspīˌrēm noun
also spi·rem -rem
( -s )
Etymology: German spirem, from Greek speirēma, speirama coil, fr speira coil, twist — more at spire
: a continuous thread observed in fixed preparations of cells in the prophase of mitosis that gives the appearance of being a strand of chromatin but is generally held to be an observational or technical artifact — compare chromosome