tetramer

T1E1T1R1A1M3E1R1

noun

An oligomer having four subunits.

OriginAncient Greek μέρος (méros) ← Proto-Hellenic *(h)méros ← Proto-Indo-European *(s)méros →
UncommonScrabble 10
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Meanings

nountetramer (plural tetramers)

plural tetramers

  1. chemistryAn oligomer having four subunits.

    Diaminomaleonitrile (DAMN), a stable tetramer of HCN, has long been renowned as a precursor for the formation of nucleobases.

    2016, Yassin Aweis Jeilani, Phoenix N. Williams, Sofia Waltona, Minh Tho Nguyen, “Unified reaction pathways for the prebiotic formation of RNA and DNA nucleobases”, in Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, volume 18, number 30, →DOI

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*kʷetwóres
  2. Proto-Hellenic*kʷétwores
  3. Ancient Greekτέσσᾰρες (téssăres)
  4. Ancient Greekτετρᾰ- (tetră-)
  5. Englishtetra-
  6. Proto-Indo-European*(s)mer-
  7. Proto-Indo-European*(s)méros
  8. Proto-Hellenic*(h)méros
  9. Ancient Greekμέρος (méros)
  10. Englishtetramer

From tetra- + -mer.

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

matterermarrette
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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