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Cloning is the production of a population of genetically identical cells or of organisms asexually produced by a single cell or organism. Cloning is fundamental to most living things, since the body cells of plants and animals are clones that come from a single fertilized egg. More narrowly, the term refers to an individual organism grown from a single body cell of its parent that is genetically identical to the parent. Cloning has been commonplace in horticulture since ancient times — many varieties of plants are cloned simply by obtaining cuttings of their leaves, stems, or roots and replanting them. The body cells of adult humans and other animals are routinely cultured as clones in the laboratory. British researchers achieved the first success in cloning an adult mammal in 1996. They produced a lamb, which they named Dolly, using DNA from an adult sheep.
Synonyms
Examples of clone in a Sentence
Huo Jingnan, NPR, 5 Apr. 2024
The ring used the skimming technology to clone debit cards of participants in anti-poverty programs to steal unemployment benefits from needy people, prosecutors said.
—Michael Loria, USA TODAY, 2 Apr. 2024
Last month, Tennessee passed the ELVIS Act, an update to the state’s Protection of Personal Rights law, in an effort to protect artists from AI deepfakes and voice clones.
—Ethan Millman, Rolling Stone, 2 Apr. 2024
The frustrated Daly simulates a Star Trek–like space adventure within the game, using his co-workers’ DNA to create digital clones of them and leading them as the captain of the USS Callister starship.
—Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Mar. 2024
Unlike many right-wing Twitter clones, the site functions well, has remained mostly online, and actually appears to have a somewhat active user base.
—William Turton, WIRED, 22 Mar. 2024
That means that all offspring are clones of their mother, sharing precisely the same genes.
—Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 22 Mar. 2024
The hope is to plant little Stumpy clones on the National Mall or nearby parks.
—Kevin Ambrose, Washington Post, 21 Mar. 2024
At one point, it’s casually revealed that a major protagonist is actually a clone of themselves; even Magneto’s conversion to the X-Men’s side of things is surprisingly swift and fuss-free.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 20 Mar. 2024
Nick Rockel, Fortune, 5 Apr. 2024
There’s no official release date because OpenAI is still trying to understand the potential dangers, including spread of misinformation and security issues that come with cloning someone’s voice.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes, 30 Mar. 2024
In the case of Charlotte, then, her pregnancy can most likely be explained by parthenogenesis, a type of asexual reproduction akin to cloning that’s performed by some fish, reptiles and birds.
—Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Mar. 2024
In January, two companies in Texas cloned President Biden’s voice to discourage voting in the New Hampshire primary.
—Wes Davis, The Verge, 19 Mar. 2024
Hailey refers to Hailey Hansard, the actor whose voice is being cloned.
—Roxana Popescu, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Mar. 2024
You are supposed to clone and fuse yourself in order to conceal your Black or indigenous side.
—Julyssa Lopez, Rolling Stone, 22 Feb. 2024
This is different than cloning, Lyons cautions, which would create an exact copy of the mother ray.
—Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 18 Feb. 2024
Scientists in Italy had cloned the first horse in 2003.
—Samantha Schmidt, Washington Post, 29 Dec. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'clone.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Noun
1903, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Verb
1930, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1
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Dictionary Entries Near clone
Cite this Entry
“Clone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clone. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
clone
2 of 2 verb
Medical Definition
clone
1 of 2 nounclone
2 of 2 verb
More from Merriam-Webster on clone
Nglish: Translation of clone for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of clone for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about clone
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