macromolecule

American  

[mak-ruh-mol-uh-kyool] / ˌmæk rəˈmɒl əˌkyul /

noun

Chemistry.

1. a very large molecule, as a colloidal particle, protein, or especially a polymer, composed of hundreds or thousands of atoms.

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macromolecule British  

/ ˌmækrəʊˈmɒlɪˌkjuːl, ˌmækrəʊməˈlɛkjʊlə /

noun

1. any very large molecule, such as a protein or synthetic polymer

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macromolecule Scientific  

/ măk′rō-mŏl′ĭ-kyo̅o̅l′ /

1. A large molecule, such as a protein, consisting of many smaller molecules linked together.

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Other Word Forms

• macromolecular
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of macromolecule

First recorded in 1885–90; macro- + molecule

Example Sentences

Consisting of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen in the ratio CH2O or carbon hydrated with water, carbohydrates are classified as monosaccharides, disaccharides, and polysaccharides depending on the number of monomers in the macromolecule.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

A quartz crystal is a macromolecule of silicon dioxide.

From Textbooks • Feb. 14, 2019

One of her team's pictures, known as Photo 51, provided the essential insights for Crick and Watson to build the first three-dimensional model of the two-stranded macromolecule.

From BBC • Feb. 7, 2019

This exoskeleton is made of the biological macromolecule chitin, which is a nitrogenous carbohydrate.

From Textbooks • Apr. 25, 2013

He would be the first person to propose something solidly correct about the structure of a biologically important macromolecule.

From "Double Helix" by James D. Watson