recessive

comparative more recessive · superlative most recessive

1. Going back; receding.
2. biologyAble to be masked by a dominant allele or trait.

   This plan takes advantage of the fact that barless is the most recessive of a series of alleles.

   1988, American Pigeon Journal, volume 76, page 36

   2 more examples

   1944 June 21, James A. G. Rehn, South African Bird-Locust Records and Notes (Orthoptera; Acrididae; Cyrtacanthacridinae; Group Cyrtacanthacres), Notulae Naturae, Number 137, Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, page 3, The Lydenburg male and the other two females have the infuscate pattern definitely more recessive and less evident, although traceable.

   The series of murine Agouti alleles is a consistent array as it progresses from the most recessive to the most dominant allele (Jackson, 1994).

   2001, D. P. Sponenberg, M. F. Rothschild, 6: Genetics of Coat Colour and Hair Texture, page 65

3. broadlyNot dominant; whose effect is masked by stronger effects.

   The worker–client relationship is more recessive and has a more catalytic and enabling quality.

   1979, Ken Heap, Process and Action in Work with Groups: The Preconditions for Treatment and Growth, page ix

   1 more example

   The law-making or legislative component was the most recessive component of the legal system of hunter-gatherers, although decisions or advice given by mediators were remembered and used again to settle similar violations of rules or disputes among parties.

   2004, Jonathan H. Turner, Human Institutions: A Theory of Societal Evolution, page 112

plural recessives

1. biologyA gene that is recessive.

   2008, Ascertainment Test, entry in George P. Rédei, Encyclopedia of Genetics, Genomics, Proteomics, and Informatics, page 147, In three-child families 27/64 will have no affected offspring, 9/37 will have 2, and 1/37 are expected to have 3 recessives.

   3 more examples

   Suppose, for example, that we started with a population consisting of pure dominants, heterozygotes, and recessives in the ratio 1 : 4 : 4.

   1915, Reginald Crundall Punnett, Mimicty in Butterflies, page 95

   Finally, if we suppose provisionally that the mutant genes are dominant just as often as they are recessive, selection will be far more severe in eliminating the disadvantageous dominants than in eliminating the disadvantageous recessives.

   1930, R. A. Fisher, J. H. Bennett, The Genetical Theory of Natural Selection, page 50

   Selection favoring recessives is common in maize breeding for several traits, such as sweetness, opacity, brachysm, lack of ligules.

   1988, Arnel R. Hallauer, Marcelo J. Carena, J.B. Miranda Filho, 6: Selection: Theory, 2nd edition, page 234