polymerase

American  

[pol-uh-muh-reys, -reyz] / ˈpɒl ə məˌreɪs, -ˌreɪz /

noun

Biochemistry.

1. any of several enzymes that catalyze the formation of a long-chain molecule by linking smaller molecular units, as nucleotides with nucleic acids.

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polymerase British  

/ pəˈlɪməreɪz /

noun

1. any enzyme that catalyses the synthesis of a polymer, esp the synthesis of DNA or RNA

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polymerase Scientific  

/ pə-lĭm′ə-rās′,pŏl′ə-mə-rās′ /

1. Any of various enzymes, such as DNA polymerase, RNA polymerase, or reverse transcriptase, that catalyze the formation of sequences of DNA or RNA using an existing strand of DNA or RNA as a template.

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Etymology

Origin of polymerase

First recorded in 1955–60; polymer + -ase

Example Sentences

This binding inhibits gene transcription and the action of RNA polymerase or the binding of transcription factors.

From Science Daily • Oct. 22, 2025

The reason for this is that the tests most commonly used — polymerase chain reaction, or PCR, tests — are designed to detect genetic material from a specific organism, such as a flu virus.

From Los Angeles Times • May 16, 2024

However, in the current scenario, the emerging bovine H5N1 strain that has infected American dairy cattle has undergone a specific adaptation in an enzyme called polymerase.

From Salon • Apr. 18, 2024

Using quantitative polymerase chain reaction, the researchers identified SARS-CoV-2 RNA in more than 25% of the samples tested from two flood-control channels.

From Science Daily • Apr. 3, 2024

Mutations might occur during replication if the enzyme DNA polymerase makes a mistake.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan