kinesin

K5I1N1E1S1I1N1

noun

Any of a class of proteins that convert chemical into mechanical energy and power the movement of vesicles and organelles along microtubules

OriginEnglish kinesis ← Ancient Greek κίνησις (kínēsis) ← Proto-Indo-European *keyh₂- →
UncommonScrabble 11
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Meanings

nounkinesin (plural kinesins)

plural kinesins

  1. biochemistryAny of a class of proteins that convert chemical into mechanical energy and power the movement of vesicles and organelles along microtubules

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*keyh₂-
  2. Ancient Greekκῑνέω (kīnéō)
  3. Ancient Greekκίνησις (kínēsis)
  4. Englishkinesis
  5. Englishkinesin

From kinesis + -in.

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

skinnie
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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