supercoil

[soo-per-koil]

noun

Biochemistry.

1. superhelix.

Other Word Forms

• supercoiled adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of supercoil¹

First recorded in 1965–70; super- + coil ¹

Example Sentences

The coiled telephone cord and the DNA double helix that stores the genetic material in every cell in the body have one thing in common; they both supercoil, or coil about themselves, and tangle in ways that can be difficult to undo.

From Science Daily