different between semilethal vs lethal

English

Etymology

From semi- +? lethal

Adjective

semilethal (not comparable)

1. (biology, genetics, of a trait) lethal to at least half of all affected organisms

Noun

semilethal (plural semilethals)

1. A semilethal trait.

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?li?.??l/
• Rhymes: -i???l

Etymology 1

From Latin l?t?lis (“mortal, deadly”), improperly written l?th?lis, from l?tum (“death”), improperly written as l?thum, as associated with Ancient Greek ???? (l?th?, “forgetfulness”).

Adjective

lethal (comparative more lethal, superlative most lethal)

1. Deadly; mortal; fatal.

Related terms

• lethality
• semilethal

Translations

Noun

lethal (plural lethals)

1. Any weapon that causes death.

   Antonym: non-lethal

2. (genetics) An allele that causes the death of the organism that carries it.

Etymology 2

Abbreviation of “lauric acid ethereal salt”, so called because it occurs in the ethereal salt of lauric acid.

Noun

lethal (uncountable)

1. (chemistry) One of the higher alcohols of the paraffine series obtained from spermaceti as a white crystalline solid.

Translations

Further reading

• lethal in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• lethal in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.