1. the observable physical or biochemical characteristics of an organism, as determined by both genetic makeup and environmental influences
Usage: biology; genetics

Examples

• The plant’s phenotype included tall stems and purple flowers.
• Environmental factors can influence an organism’s phenotype even with identical genes.
• Scientists studied the phenotype of the mutant fruit flies in the laboratory.
• Her blue eyes are part of her phenotype, determined by her genetic makeup.
• The researcher compared the phenotypes of plants grown in different soil conditions.
• Identical twins may have slightly different phenotypes due to environmental differences.