Definition of clone

The word "clone" has its roots in the Greek language. In the 16th century, the term "klonos" (Greek: κλών) was used in botany to describe a bud or a cutting that grows from another plant. This term was later adopted into Latin as "clonus," and then into various European languages. In the 19th century, the term "clone" began to be used in science to describe an exact copy or duplicate, often in reference to biology and genetics. This sense of the word is thought to have originated from the idea that a clone is a "clonus," or a bud or cutting, that grows from a parent plant or organism. Today, the word "clone" is widely used in a variety of contexts, including biology, technology, and science fiction, to describe the creation of an exact copy or duplicate of something.