/ Dictionary / Index P pachytene: Meaning and Definition of Find definitions for: pach•y•tene Pronunciation: (pak'i-tēn), [key] — n. Cell Biol. the third stage of prophase in meiosis, during which each chromosome pair separates into sister chromatids with some breakage and crossing over of genes. Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease. See also: pachytene (Thesaurus) pachysandra pacific Related Content Daily Word Quiz: panacea Analogy of the Day: Today’s Analogy Spelling Bee: Today’s Spelling Bee Frequently Misspelled Words Frequently Mispronounced Words Easily Confused Words Writing & Language