plectoneme

P3L1E1C3T1O1N1E1M3E1

noun

A loop of helices (especially of nucleic acid) twisted together such that they cannot be separated without breaking them

OriginAncient Greek πλεκτός →
Scrabble 16
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Meanings

nounplectoneme (plural plectonemes)

plural plectonemes

  1. A loop of helices (especially of nucleic acid) twisted together such that they cannot be separated without breaking them

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekνῆμα“thread”
  2. Ancient Greekπλεκτός“twisted”
  3. Englishplectoneme

From Ancient Greek πλεκτός (plektós, “twisted”) + Ancient Greek νῆμα (nêma, “thread”).

More words from Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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