tautomer

[taw-tuh-mer]

noun

Chemistry.

1. a compound that exhibits tautomerism.

tautomer

/ ˈtɔːtəmə /

noun

1. either of the two forms of a chemical compound that exhibits tautomerism

Word History and Origins

Origin of tautomer¹

First recorded in 1900–05; back formation from tautomerism

Example Sentences

This hypothesis, called the tautomer hypothesis, says the standard four nucleotides can form mismatched pairs due to tautomerization, or the tendency of nucleotides to oscillate between several structural variants with the same composition.

Read more on Science Daily

Such an altered base pair, known as a tautomer, can quickly jump back to its original arrangement.

Read more on Scientific American