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Glite Dictionary
hereditary pattern

hereditary pattern

5.3
The way traits pass from parents to children through genes
  • noun
  • /həˈrɛdɪˌtɛri ˈpætərn/
  • Specialized
translation icon : patrón hereditario
  • Certain diseases, such as hemophilia, follow a distinct hereditary pattern.

Examples

  • The hereditary pattern of eye color can be complex.

  • Research has shown that eye color is determined by a hereditary pattern.

  • Understanding your family's hereditary pattern may help predict health risks.

  • Many diseases follow a hereditary pattern in families.

  • The study revealed a strong hereditary pattern in how certain traits were passed down through generations of the family.

  • Scientists are investigating the hereditary pattern of the disease to understand its genetic transmission.

  • The dog's coat color displayed a clear hereditary pattern indicating it was inherited from its parents.

Synonyms

inheritance
vshereditary pattern
  • Specialized
7 4.9

The way children get physical traits from their parents

focuses on the pattern or manner traits show rather than the process

Antonyms

nurture
9 4.2

The effect of home and life experiences on how a person develops

Surface Forms

hereditary pattern singular
hereditary patterns plural

Morphology

hereditary + pattern

The meaning 'the manner in which traits are passed from parents to offspring' is directly and compositionally derived from 'hereditary' (transmitted by genetic inheritance) modifying 'pattern' (a recurring manner or arrangement). This adjective+noun combination follows a standard, cross-linguistically common compositional pattern, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents should be able to infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Hereditary pattern comes from the image of hereditary meaning 'passed down' and pattern meaning a repeating design, like a family quilt where the same stitch or colour appears in each generation. So, it now means 'the way traits are passed from parents to children'.