Meanings
nounphosphodiester (plural phosphodiesters)
plural phosphodiesters
- biochemistryany phospholipid, such as lecithin, that has two ester groups
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*bʰeh₂-
- Proto-Indo-European*bʰéh₂os
- Proto-Hellenic*pʰáwos
- Ancient Greekφᾰ́ος (phắos)
- Ancient Greekφῶς (phôs)
- Proto-Indo-European*bʰer-
- Proto-Indo-European*bʰéreti
- Proto-Hellenic*pʰérō
- Ancient Greekφέρω (phérō)
- Ancient Greekφωσφόρος (phōsphóros)
- Latinphōsphorus
- Englishphosphorus
- Englishphospho-
- Proto-Indo-European*dwóh₁
- Proto-Indo-European*dwi-
- Proto-Hellenic*dwi-
- Ancient Greekδῐ- (dĭ-)
- Latindi-
- Englishdi-
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂eḱ-
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂eḱéh₁yeti
- Proto-Italic*akēō
- Latinaceō
- Latinacēscō
- Latinacētum
- Proto-West Germanic*aket
- Proto-West Germanic*atek
- Old High Germaneȥȥih
- Middle High Germaneȥȥich
- GermanEssich
- GermanEssig
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂eydʰ-
- Proto-Hellenic*áitʰō
- Ancient Greekαἴθω (aíthō)
- Ancient Greekᾱ̓ήρ (āḗr)influ.?
- Ancient Greekαἰθήρ (aithḗr)
- Latinaethēr
- GermanÄther
- GermanEster
- Englishester
- Englishdiester
- Englishphosphodiester
From phospho- + diester.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
phosphodiester. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/phosphodiester
MLA
“phosphodiester.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/phosphodiester. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “phosphodiester,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/phosphodiester.
Source: phosphodiester on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.