diakinesis

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. The final stage of the prophase in meiosis, characterized by shortening and thickening of the paired chromosomes, formation of the spindle fibers, disappearance of the nucleolus, and degeneration of the nuclear membrane.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. In cytology, the segmented spireme stage in the primary oöeyte or spermatocyte. This stage follows synapsis and is characterized by the persistence of the chromosomes for some time in the form of double rods.

Wiktionary

1. n. cytology the last stage of prophase, in which the nucleolus and nuclear envelope disappear, spindle fibers form, and the chromosomes shorten in preparation for anaphase.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. the final stage of the prophase of meiosis