n., pl., -ses (-sēz').
- An interaction between nonallelic genes, especially an interaction in which one gene suppresses the expression of another.
- A film that forms over the surface of a urine specimen.
- The suppression of a bodily discharge or secretion.
[Greek, stoppage, from epistanai, to stop, check : ep-, epi-, epi- + histanai, to place.]
epistatic ep'i·stat'ic (ĕp'ĭ-stăt'ĭk) adj.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
