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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.

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

To verify that this effect truly depended on TE activity, the researchers used reverse transcriptase inhibitors, which stop TEs from copying themselves.

From Science Daily • Oct. 27, 2025

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

Why does the HIV virus use reverse transcriptase in the replication process?

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

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