"sum total of genes in a set," 1930, genom, modeled on German genom, coined 1920 by German botanist Hans Winkler, from gen "gene" (see gene) + (chromos)om "chromosome" (see chromosome).
Entries linking to genome
gene n.
1911, from German Gen, coined 1905 by Danish scientist Wilhelm Ludvig Johannsen (1857-1927), from Greek genea "generation, race" (from PIE root *gene- "give birth, beget"). De Vries had earlier called them pangenes. Gene pool is attested from 1946.
chromosome n.
1889, from German Chromosom, coined 1888 by German anatomist Wilhelm von Waldeyer-Hartz (1836-1921), from Latinized form of Greek khrōma "color" (see chroma) + -some (3)). So called because the structures contain a substance that stains readily with basic dyes.