How to pronounce meiosis

Noun

• (genetics) cell division that produces reproductive cells in sexually reproducing organisms; the nucleus divides into four nuclei each containing half the chromosome number (leading to gametes in animals and spores in plants)

  Synonyms: reduction division

• understatement for rhetorical effect (especially when expressing an affirmative by negating its contrary)

  “saying `I was not a little upset' when you mean `I was very upset' is an example of litotes”