cline
[ klahyn ]
/ klaɪn /
noun
Biology.
the gradual change in certain characteristics exhibited by members of a series of adjacent populations of organisms of the same species.
Linguistics.
(in systemic linguistics) a scale of continuous gradation; continuum.
Origin of cline
1935–40; < Greek
klī́nein to
lean1
OTHER WORDS FROM cline
clin·al, adjective clin·al·ly, adverbWords nearby cline
clinch,
clincher,
clincher tire,
clincher-built,
clindamycin,
cline,
cling,
cling peach,
clingfilm,
clingfish,
clinging vine
Example sentences from the Web for clinal
British Dictionary definitions for clinal (1 of 2)
cline
/ (klaɪn) /
noun
a continuous variation in form between members of a species having a wide variable geographical or ecological range
Derived forms of cline
clinal, adjective clinally, adverbWord Origin for cline
C20: from Greek
klinein to lean
British Dictionary definitions for clinal (2 of 2)
Cline
/ (klaɪn) /
noun
Patsy, original name Virginia Patterson Hensley . 1932–63, US country singer; her bestselling records include "Walking After Midnight", "I Fall to Pieces", and "Leavin' On Your Mind"
Scientific definitions for clinal
cline
[ klīn ]
A gradual change in an inherited characteristic across the geographic range of a species, usually correlated with an environmental transition such as altitude, temperature, or moisture. For example, the body size in a species of warm-blooded animals tends to be larger in cooler climates (a latitudinal cline), while the flowering time of a plant may tend to be later at higher altitudes (an altitudinal cline). In species in which the gene flow between adjacent populations is high, the cline is typically smooth, whereas in populations with restricted gene flow the cline usually occurs as a series of relatively abrupt changes from one group to the next.