# leptotene

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. The first part of the prophase of meiosis, characterized by threadlike chromosomes

## Etymology
From French leptotène, corresponding to lepto- (“thin”) + -tene (“ribbon”).
Coined by Hans von De Winiwarter in 1900 and in English by Edmund B. Wilson in 1912.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/leptotene