codon

co·don
C3O1D2O1N1
UK/ˈkəʊ.dɒn/US/ˈkoʊ.dɑn/

noun

A handbell used for summoning monks.

OriginLatin codon ← Ancient Greek κώδων →
Less commonScrabble 8
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Meanings

codon1

nouncodon (plural codons)

plural codons

  1. A handbell used for summoning monks.
  2. The "bell" or flaring mouth of a trumpet.

codon2

nouncodon (plural codons)

plural codons

  1. biochemistryA sequence of three adjacent nucleotides, which encode for a specific amino acid during protein synthesis or translation.

Origin

codon · noun

  1. Ancient Greekκώδων
  2. Latincodon
  3. Englishcodon

From Latin codon, from Ancient Greek κώδων (kṓdōn).

More words from Latin, Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →

codon · noun

From code + -on.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan codó
  • codósequence of three nucleotides
Chinese Mandarin 密碼子 /密码子
  • 密碼子 /密码子 (mìmǎzǐ)sequence of three nucleotides
Czech kodon
  • kodonsequence of three nucleotides
Estonian koodon
  • koodonsequence of three nucleotides
Finnish kodoni
  • kodonisequence of three nucleotides
French codon
  • codonsequence of three nucleotides
German Codon, Basentriplett
  • Codonsequence of three nucleotides
  • Basentriplettsequence of three nucleotides
Hungarian kodon
  • kodonsequence of three nucleotides
Italian codone
  • codonesequence of three nucleotides
Japanese コドン, 遺伝暗号
  • コドン (kodon)sequence of three nucleotides
  • 遺伝暗号 (iden'angō)sequence of three nucleotides
Māori pūihokarihi
  • pūihokarihisequence of three nucleotides
Polish kodon
  • kodonsequence of three nucleotides
Portuguese códon
  • códonsequence of three nucleotides
Russian кодо́н, три́плет
  • кодо́н (kodón)sequence of three nucleotides
  • три́плет (tríplet)sequence of three nucleotides
Slovak kodón
  • kodónsequence of three nucleotides
Spanish codón
  • codónsequence of three nucleotides
Swedish kodon
  • kodonsequence of three nucleotides
Ukrainian кодо́н
  • кодо́н (kodón)sequence of three nucleotides

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

condo
Cite this entry
APA

codon. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/codon

MLA

“codon.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/codon. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “codon,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/codon.

Source: codon on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.