nucleotide

[ noo-klee-uh-tahyd, nyoo- ]

/ ˈnu kli əˌtaɪd, ˈnyu- /

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noun Biochemistry.

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.

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Origin of nucleotide

First recorded in 1905–10; alteration of nucleoside

OTHER WORDS FROM nucleotide

in·ter·nu·cle·o·tide, adjective

Words nearby nucleotide

nucleosidase, nucleoside, nucleoside analogue, nucleosome, nucleosynthesis, nucleotide, nucleotides, nucleus, nuclide, nuddy, nude

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use nucleotide in a sentence

The team can retrieve specific files by adding complementary nucleotide sequences, or primers, corresponding to an individual file’s label.
Each of These Microscopic Glass Beads Stores an Image Encoded on a Strand of DNA|Jason Dorrier|June 20, 2021|Singularity Hub
Each strand of DNA includes an identifying sequence that matches a short sequence of nucleotides called a PCR primer.
Each of These Microscopic Glass Beads Stores an Image Encoded on a Strand of DNA|Jason Dorrier|June 20, 2021|Singularity Hub
In the study, the team manipulated the PCSK9 gene by changing a single nucleotide from A to G at a specific location.
One CRISPR Treatment Lowered Cholesterol in Monkeys by 60 Percent|Vanessa Bates Ramirez|May 26, 2021|Singularity Hub
Each strand acts as a template for a new molecule, built by matching the nucleotides on one strand with new nucleotides.
Let’s learn about DNA|Bethany Brookshire|April 6, 2021|Science News For Students

The information-carry subunits of the molecules are known as nucleotides.
Here’s why COVID-19 vaccines like Pfizer’s need to be kept so cold|Tina Hesman Saey|November 20, 2020|Science News

British Dictionary definitions for nucleotide

nucleotide

/ (ˈnjuːklɪəˌtaɪd) /

noun

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

Word Origin for nucleotide

C20: from nucleo- + t (added for ease of pronunciation) + -ide

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

Scientific definitions for nucleotide

nucleotide

[ nōō′klē-ə-tīd′ ]

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.