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nucleotide

American  
[noo-klee-uh-tahyd, nyoo-] / ˈnu kli əˌtaɪd, ˈnju- /

noun

Biochemistry.
  1. any of a group of molecules that, when linked together, form the building blocks of DNA or RNA: composed of a phosphate group, the bases adenine, cytosine, guanine, and thymine, and a pentose sugar, in RNA the thymine base being replaced by uracil.


nucleotide British  
/ ˈnjuːklɪəˌtaɪd /

noun

  1. biochem a compound consisting of a nucleoside linked to phosphoric acid. Nucleic acids are made up of long chains (polynucleotides) of such compounds

"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

nucleotide Scientific  
/ no̅o̅′klē-ə-tīd′ /
  1. Any of a group of organic compounds composed of a nucleoside linked to a phosphate group. Nucleotides are the basic building blocks of nucleic acids.


Other Word Forms


Etymology

Origin of nucleotide

First recorded in 1905–10; alteration of nucleoside


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Vocabulary lists containing 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.

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This enables the essential information defining an organism’s core features—represented in the nucleotide sequences of DNA—to be passed down to its offspring.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 26, 2025

Notably, the increase in activity was specific to increasing concentrations of ATP or histidine; no changes were observed in response to other nucleotide triphosphates or amino acids.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 18, 2024

They're made of extended nucleotide sequences, similar to DNA, but they can also act as enzymes to facilitate reactions, much like proteins.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 4, 2024

"The evolutionary relationship of genes can usually be detected when two genes retain similar nucleotide sequences or encoded amino acid sequences," Kawasaki said, referring to the materials comprising an organism's genetic code.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 30, 2024

A mutation is a change in a nucleotide, copied in the next generation, which breeds true.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan

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