a specialized process of nuclear division in gamete-producing cells by which one of each pair of chromosomes passes to each resulting gametic cell which thus has half the number of chromosomes of the original cell and is usually genetically unique: compare mitosis, cell division
= litotes
meiotic /mieʹotik/ adj
meiotically /mieʹotikli/ adv
[via Latin from Greek meiōsis diminution, from meioun to diminish, from meiōn less]