Meanings
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA gene found in Drosophila, its homolog of the dynamin gene.
Origin
- Japaneseしびれ“numbness, paralyzed”
- Englishshibire
From Japanese しびれ (shibire, “numbness, paralyzed”). Coined by Japanese-Canadian geneticist and zoologist David Suzuki, its discoverer. Originally discovered in its temperature sensitive form, shibire(ts), which caused the afflicted flies to drop from the sky on a temperature change, appearing to be a gene causing paralysis. Suzuki, referencing his Japanese heritage, chose a Japanese term for being paralyzed as the gene's name.
More words from Japanese
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
shibire. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shibire
“shibire.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shibire. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “shibire,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shibire.
Source: shibire on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.