polymerase

American  

[pol-uh-muh-rays, -rayz] / 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

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

polymerase

RNA polymerase II, also called Pol II, is the enzyme responsible for transcribing protein-coding genes in eukaryotic cells.

From Science Daily ● Dec. 1, 2025

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

From Science Daily ● Oct. 22, 2025

According to testing records, the initial sample of store-bought raw milk carried high levels of the virus, and was found to have a polymerase chain reaction cycle threshold — or Ct — of roughly 25.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 27, 2024

The numbers are likely to be underestimates: Oropouche’s symptoms resemble those of dengue, Zika, and several other diseases, and an infection can only be confirmed using polymerase chain reaction or antibody tests.

From Science Magazine ● Jun. 4, 2024

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

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan

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