genotype – the genetic makeup of an organism, represented as a combination of two alleles (two letters)

(Pronounced jeen-uh-taiyp)

To remember the meaning of genotype, use the following mnemonic:

The jeans can type (genotype) two letters at once.

A genotype describes the actual genes present in an organism's DNA, which are inherited by both parents and is written in letters to denote the alleles. 

The genotype is different from the phenotype, which is the physical characteristic that is actually expressed or visible. While the genotype represents the genetic code itself, it determines what traits are possible.