zy·de·co ['zī-də-,kō] -n

  1. popular music of southern Louisiana that combines tunes of French origin with elements of Caribbean music and the blues and that features guitar, washboard, and accordion

zyg- -comb form

  1. yoke
    • zygo morphic
  2. pair
    • zygo dactyl
  3. union
    • zygo spore

zyg·apoph·y·sis [,zī-gə-'pä-fə-səs] -n

  1. any of the articular processes of the neural arch of a vertebra of which there are usu. two anterior and two posterior

zy·go·dac·tyl [,zī-gə-'dak-tᵊl] -adj

  1. having the toes arranged two in front and two behind used of a bird

zy·go·dac·ty·lous [-tə-ləs] -adj

  1. zygodactyl

zy·go·ma [zī-'gō-mə] -n

  1. zygomatic arch
  2. a slender bony process of the zygomatic arch
  3. zygomatic bone

zy·go·mat·ic [,zī-gə-'ma-tik] -adj

  1. of, relating to, constituting, or situated in the region of the zygomatic bone or zygomatic arch

zygomatic arch -n

  1. the arch of bone that extends along the front or side of the skull beneath the orbit

zygomatic bone -n

  1. a bone of the face below the eye that in mammals forms part of the zygomatic arch and part of the orbit called also cheekbone

zygomatic process -n

  1. any of several bony processes that enter into or strengthen the zygomatic arch

zy·go·mor·phic [,zī-gə-'mȯr-fik] -adj, n

  1. having floral parts unequal in size or form so that the flower is capable of division into essentially symmetrical halves by only one longitudinal plane passing through the axis

zy·gos·i·ty [zī-'gä-sə-tē] -n

  1. the makeup or characteristics of a particular zygote
  2. the genetic relationship between offspring of a single birth esp. in regard to being derived from the same or different zygotes

zy·go·spore ['zī-gə-,spȯr] -n

  1. a thick-walled spore of some algae and fungi that is formed by union of two similar sexual cells, usu. serves as a resting spore, and produces the sporophytic phase

zy·gote ['zī-,gōt] -n, adj

  1. a cell formed by the union of two gametes
  2. the developing individual produced from such a cell

zygote intrafallopian transfer -n

  1. a method of assisting reproduction in cases of infertility that is similar to gamete intrafallopian transfer but in which eggs are fertilized in vitro and some of the resulting fertilized eggs are inserted into a fallopian tube abbr. ZIFT

zy·go·tene ['zī-gə-,tēn] -n, adj

  1. the stage of meiotic prophase which immediately follows the leptotene and during which synapsis of homologous chromosomes occurs

zym- -comb form

  1. yeast
    • zym osan
  2. enzyme
    • zymo gen

zy·mase ['zī-,mās, -,māz] -n

  1. an enzyme or enzyme complex of yeast that promotes fermentation of sugar

zy·mo·gen ['zī-mə-jən] -n

  1. an inactive protein precursor of an enzyme secreted by living cells and converted (as by a kinase or an acid) into an active form called also proenzyme

zy·mo·gram ['zī-mə-,gram] -n

  1. an electrophoretic strip (as of starch gel) or a representation of it exhibiting the pattern of separated enzymes and esp. isoenzymes after electrophoresis

zy·mo·san ['zī-mə-,san] -n

  1. an insoluble largely polysaccharide fraction of yeast cell walls