allele
This is a technical term used primarily in biology and genetics. In everyday conversation, people might use the word "version" of a gene, but "allele" is the precise scientific term. It is a countable noun, meaning you can have one allele or multiple alleles.
💬Casual Conversation
🎬Tuesday afternoon, Sarah is on her third coffee break while David is trying to sound intellectual via Slack.
David Smith
Just read that my eye color is a recessive allele. Pretty wild, right?
Sarah
Cool. I'm currently drowning in those slide decks you sent over.
💡
David is attempting to share a 'fun fact' to seem interesting, while Sarah uses the phrasal verb 'drowning in' to express that she is overwhelmed by an excessive amount of work.