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

This exoskeleton is made of the biological macromolecule chitin, which is a polysaccharide-containing nitrogen.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

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

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

The functional groups in a macromolecule are usually attached to the carbon backbone at one or more different places along its chain and/or ring structure.

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

Mostly these errors would have been such that the new macromolecule could not reproduce itself and eventually would have been destroyed.

From "A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays" by Stephen Hawking