sickle cell trait

noun

A genotype, and the carrier state constituted by it, that is the heterozygous counterpart to sickle-cell disease (which involves a homozygous hit). It is not classified as a disease entity because it usually has little clinical effect (generally asymptomatic).

Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

nounsickle cell trait (uncountable)
  1. uncountablemedicineA genotype, and the carrier state constituted by it, that is the heterozygous counterpart to sickle-cell disease (which involves a homozygous hit). It is not classified as a disease entity because it usually has little clinical effect (generally asymptomatic).

    I learned from her that I carried the sickle cell trait, which meant I would never be sick, but my child could be, if my husband also carried the trait.

    2005, Sefi Atta, Everything Good Will Come, Arris Books, page 44
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

“sickle cell trait.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sickle%20cell%20trait. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

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

Source: sickle cell trait on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.