supercoiling

S1U1P3E1R1C3O1I1L1I1N1G2

noun

The coiling of the DNA helix upon itself, which can disrupt transcription and lead to cell death.

OriginEnglish coiling ← Latin super- ← Proto-Italic *super →
RareScrabble 17
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Meanings

nounsupercoiling (uncountable)
  1. uncountablebiologyThe coiling of the DNA helix upon itself, which can disrupt transcription and lead to cell death.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*úp
  2. Proto-Indo-European*upér
  3. Proto-Italic*super
  4. Latinsuper
  5. Latinsuper-
  6. Englishsuper-
  7. Englishcoiling
  8. Englishsupercoiling

From super- + coiling.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

supercoiling. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/supercoiling

MLA

“supercoiling.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/supercoiling. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “supercoiling,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/supercoiling.

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