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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.

macromolecule British  
/ ˌmækrəʊˈmɒlɪˌkjuːl, ˌmækrəʊməˈlɛkjʊlə /

noun

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

"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
macromolecule Scientific  
/ măk′rō-mŏl′ĭ-kyo̅o̅l′ /

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

Other Word Forms

  • macromolecular adjective

Etymology

Origin of macromolecule

First recorded in 1885–90; macro- + molecule

Vocabulary lists containing macromolecule

Biochemistry

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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.

An antigen is a foreign or “non-self” macromolecule that reacts with cells of the immune system.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

A ribosome is a complex macromolecule composed of structural and catalytic rRNAs, and many distinct polypeptides.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

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

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

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

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.