gen

1 of 6

noun (1)

ˈjen 

plural gens

informal

: generation sense 1

I always get the various gens mixed up but I am pretty sure the Greatest Generation, the people who fought World War II, were the parents of the baby boomers.

—Clay Thompson

the seventh gen of this model

—often used in combination

a second-gen game console

see also gen x

gen

2 of 6

noun (2)

ˈjen 

chiefly British

: information sense 1a

gen

3 of 6

abbreviation (1)

1

general

2

genitive

3

genus

Gen

4 of 6

abbreviation (2)

Genesis

gen-

5 of 6

combining form

variants or geno-

1

: offspring : race

genocide

2

: genus : kind

genotype

-gen

6 of 6

noun combining form

variants or less commonly -gene

1

: producer

androgen

2

: one that is (so) produced

cultigen

Synonyms

Noun (2)

• 411 [slang]
• advice(s)
• info
• information
• intelligence
• item
• news
• story
• tidings
• uncos [chiefly Scottish]
• word

Examples of gen in a Sentence

Noun (2)

as he has for decades, he gets most of his gen from the BBC over the wireless

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

by shortening

Noun (2)

perhaps from general information

Combining form

Greek genos birth, race, kind — more at kin

Noun combining form

French -gène, from Greek -genēs born; akin to Greek genos birth

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1949, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1940, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing gen

• atty gen
• next-gen

Medical Definition

gen

abbreviation

1

general

2

genus