polynucleotide

American

[pol-ee-noo-klee-uh-tahyd, -nyoo-] / ˌpɒl iˈnu kli əˌtaɪd, -ˈnju- /

noun

Biochemistry.

a sequence of nucleotides, as in DNA or RNA, bound into a chain.

polynucleotide British

/ ˌpɒlɪˈnjuːklɪəˌtaɪd /

noun

biochem a molecular chain of nucleotides chemically bonded by a series of ester linkages between the phosphoryl group of one nucleotide and the hydroxyl group of the sugar in the adjacent nucleotide. Nucleic acids consist of long chains of polynucleotides

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of polynucleotide

First recorded in 1910–15; poly- + nucleotide

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

polynucleotide

A single session of polynucleotide injections can cost anywhere from £200 to £500 - and it's recommended you have three of these over several weeks.

From BBC ● Nov. 21, 2025

The nucleotides combine with each other to form a polynucleotide, DNA or RNA.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 9, 2022

For polynucleotide synthesis to occur, the transcription machinery needs to move histones out of the way every time it encounters a nucleosome.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 9, 2022

When a polynucleotide is formed, the 5′ phosphate of the incoming nucleotide attaches to the 3′ hydroxyl group at the end of the growing chain.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 9, 2022

Decisions had to be made about the number of polynucleotide chains within the DNA molecule.

From "Double Helix" by James D. Watson

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023