Barr body

noun

A sex chromosome inactivated by packing in heterochromatin.

“Men with Klinefelter syndrome (47,XXY karyotype) have a single Barr body, whereas women with a 47,XXX karyotype have two Barr bodies.”

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Meanings

nounBarr body (plural Barr bodies)

plural Barr bodies

  1. biologyA sex chromosome inactivated by packing in heterochromatin.

    Men with Klinefelter syndrome (47,XXY karyotype) have a single Barr body, whereas women with a 47,XXX karyotype have two Barr bodies.

Origin

Named after discoverer Murray Barr.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

Barr body. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Barr%20body

MLA

“Barr body.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Barr%20body. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Barr body,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Barr%20body.

Source: Barr body on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.