polytene chromosome: Meaning and Definition of

pol'y•tene chro"mosome

Pronunciation: (pol'ē-tēn"), [key]
— Genetics. Genetics.
  1. a giant, cross-banded chromosome that results from multiple replication of its genetic material with the duplicated chromatin strands remaining closely associated.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.