zy·go·tene (z??g?-t?n?)n. The stage in prophase of meiosis during which homologous chromosomes become paired.[French zygotène : zygo-, pair (from New Latin; see zygo-) + -tène, ribbon (from Latin taenia; see taenia).]American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.zygotene (?za????ti?n; ?z??-) n (Biology) the second stage of the prophase of meiosis, during which homologous chromosomes become associated in pairs (bivalents)Collins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014zy?go?tene (?za? g??tin, ?z?g ?-) n. the second stage of prophase in meiosis, during which corresponding chromosomes become paired. [1925?30;