polymerase

P3O1L1Y4M3E1R1A1S1E1

noun

Any of various enzymes that catalyze the formation of polymers of DNA or RNA using an existing strand of RNA or DNA respectively as a template.

OriginEnglish diastase ← Ancient Greek δῐᾰ́στᾰσῐς (dĭắstăsĭs) ← Proto-Hellenic *hístāmi →
Less commonScrabble 17
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Meanings

nounpolymerase (plural polymerases)

plural polymerases

  1. biochemistryAny of various enzymes that catalyze the formation of polymers of DNA or RNA using an existing strand of RNA or DNA respectively as a template.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*pleh₁-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*polh₁ús
  3. Ancient Greekπολῠ́ς (polŭ́s)
  4. Englishpoly-
  5. Proto-Indo-European*(s)mer-
  6. Proto-Indo-European*(s)méros
  7. Proto-Hellenic*(h)méros
  8. Ancient Greekμέρος (méros)
  9. Englishpolymer
  10. Proto-Indo-European*dwóh₁
  11. Proto-Indo-European*trísinflu.
  12. Proto-Indo-European*dwís
  13. Ancient Greekδιά (diá)
  14. Ancient Greekδῐᾰ- (dĭă-)
  15. Proto-Indo-European*steh₂-
  16. Proto-Indo-European*stísteh₂ti
  17. Proto-Hellenic*hístāmi
  18. Ancient Greekῐ̔́στημῐ (hĭ́stēmĭ)
  19. Ancient Greekδῐῐ̈́στημῐ (dĭĭ̈́stēmĭ)
  20. Ancient Greekδῐᾰ́στᾰσῐς (dĭắstăsĭs)
  21. Englishdiastase
  22. Englishpolymerase

From polymer + -ase.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Cantonese 聚合酶
  • 聚合酶 (zeoi⁶ hap⁶ mui⁴)enzyme that catalyses the formation of polymers
Chinese Mandarin 聚合酶
  • 聚合酶 (jùhéméi)enzyme that catalyses the formation of polymers
Finnish polymeraasi
  • polymeraasienzyme that catalyses the formation of polymers
French polymérase
  • polyméraseenzyme that catalyses the formation of polymers
German Polymerase
  • Polymeraseenzyme that catalyses the formation of polymers
Greek πολυμεράση
  • πολυμεράση (polymerási)enzyme that catalyses the formation of polymers
Hindi बहुलकेद
  • बहुलकेद (bahulaked)enzyme that catalyses the formation of polymers
Indonesian polimerase
  • polimeraseenzyme that catalyses the formation of polymers
Italian polimerasi
  • polimerasienzyme that catalyses the formation of polymers
Māori whākōkī waerau
  • whākōkī waerauenzyme that catalyses the formation of polymers
Portuguese polimerase
  • polimeraseenzyme that catalyses the formation of polymers
Russian полимераза
  • полимераза (polimeraza)enzyme that catalyses the formation of polymers
Spanish polimerasa
  • polimerasaenzyme that catalyses the formation of polymers
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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