Skip to main content
triploid

triploid

9.3
A cell or organism with three full sets of chromosomes instead of two
  • noun
  • /ˈtrɪp.lɔɪd/
  • Specialized
translation icon : triploide
  • After several experiments, they successfully created triploids that were more resilient to environmental changes.

Examples

  • Recent studies of the vegetatively prolific lake cress (N. aquatica) have revealed surprisingly high levels of interpopulational genetic variation in this sexually sterile triploid (1).

    Academic text (1996)
  • An unexpected snag occurred in early June when the 300 carefully leaned triploids all died in a laboratory accident at Rutgers, just before the study was to begin.

    Academic text (1992)
  • To find alternatives, the researchers have begun evaluating a few seedless watermelon varieties, called triploids, that have resistance or tolerance to yellow vine disease.

    Academic text (1997)
  • The researchers studied a new strain of triploid that showed remarkable growth rates in controlled conditions.

  • Farmers reported that the triploids they cultivated produced a more consistent yield compared to traditional varieties.

How Many Sets

polyploidy
  • Specialized
9.9
tetraploid
  • Specialized
9.9
triploid
  • Specialized
9.3
diploidy
  • Specialized
8.9
haploidy
  • Specialized
9.9

Surface Forms

triploid singular
triploids plural

Morphology

triploid = ploid (opaque) = tri + ploid

The word clearly contains the prefix 'tri-' meaning three, but the remaining element is a technical combining form, so the full meaning is not readily recoverable for an average learner.

Etymology

Triploid comes from the beginning tri- meaning 'three' and the ending -ploid meaning 'fold' or 'set'. So a triploid is an organism or cell that has 'three sets' of chromosomes instead of the usual two.