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transcriptase

American  
[tran-skrip-teys, -teyz] / trænˈskrɪp teɪs, -teɪz /

noun

Biochemistry.
  1. RNA polymerase.


transcriptase British  
/ trænˈskrɪpteɪz /

noun

  1. See reverse transcriptase

"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

Etymology

Origin of transcriptase

First recorded in 1963; transcript(ion) + -ase

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Islatravir, meanwhile, is what’s known as a nucleoside reverse transcriptase translocation inhibitor, a novel drug that is significantly more potent.

From Barron's Feb. 25, 2026

While both drugs target the HIV-1 reverse transcriptase enzyme to prevent viral replication, they do so through entirely different biochemical pathways.

From Barron's Feb. 25, 2026

The discovery of reverse transcriptase was greeted with overheated predictions that science had at last found a cure for cancer.

From Los Angeles Times Sep. 8, 2025

The structural and biochemical analyses also indicated that the reverse transcriptase could lead to additional, undesired insertions.

From Science Daily May 29, 2024

The enzyme reverse transcriptase transcribes DNA to RNA, then again to DNA.

From Textbooks Jun. 9, 2022

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