dynein

D2Y4N1E1I1N1
/ˈdaɪ.niːn/

noun

Any of a group of enzymes that hydrolyze ATP and thus provide motive power for motile structures such as microtubules.

OriginAncient Greek δῠ́νᾰμῐς →
UncommonScrabble 10
Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

noundynein (plural dyneins)

plural dyneins

  1. biochemistryAny of a group of enzymes that hydrolyze ATP and thus provide motive power for motile structures such as microtubules.

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekδῠ́νᾰμῐς“force”
  2. Englishdynein

From dyne + -in, from the Ancient Greek δῠ́νᾰμῐς (dŭ́nămĭs, “force”).

More words from Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

dynein. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dynein

MLA

“dynein.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dynein. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “dynein,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dynein.

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