Meanings
plural transposons
- biologyA segment of DNA that can move to a different position within a genome, or to the genome of another species.
An alternative approach to the use of retroviruses was to use a DNA transposon to integrate DNA into zebrafish chromosomes.
2003, Karl J. Clark, The Development of Sleeping Beauty Gene-trap Transposons for Insertional Mutagenesis of Vertebrates, University of Minnesota, page 72 more examples
2002, Ahmet Ipek, Introduction of an Ac/Ds Based Two-element Transposon Tagging System and Trans-activation of Ds in Carrot (Daucus Carota L.), University of Wisconsin–Madison, page 44, Transposon tagging is a powerful technique to identify and clone genes. The successful application of transposon tagging requires previous identification and cloning of a transposon in the species under consideration.
Our genome also contains stretches of genetic material called transposons that, at least in some cases, are thought to have been introduced long ago by viruses.
2018 March 26, Nicola Davis, “The human microbiome: why our microbes could be key to our health”, in The GuardianSynonyms: jumping gene, transposable element, TE
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA segment of DNA that can move to a different position within a genome, or to the genome of another species.
More synonyms by meaning
nouna segment of DNA that can become integrated at many different sites along a chromosome (especially a segment of bacterial DNA that can be translocated as a whole)
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Translations
Chinese Mandarin 轉座子 /转座子
- 轉座子 /转座子 (zhuǎnzuòzǐ)segment of DNA that can move to a different position within a genome, or to another genome
Dutch transposon, springend gen
- transposonsegment of DNA that can move to a different position within a genome, or to another genome
- springend gensegment of DNA that can move to a different position within a genome, or to another genome
Finnish transposoni, hyppivä geeni
- transposonisegment of DNA that can move to a different position within a genome, or to another genome
- hyppivä geenisegment of DNA that can move to a different position within a genome, or to another genome
French transposon
- transposonsegment of DNA that can move to a different position within a genome, or to another genome
German Transposon
- Transposonsegment of DNA that can move to a different position within a genome, or to another genome
Hindi खिसकाणु
- खिसकाणु (khiskāṇu)segment of DNA that can move to a different position within a genome, or to another genome
Icelandic stökkull, stökkgen
- stökkullsegment of DNA that can move to a different position within a genome, or to another genome
- stökkgensegment of DNA that can move to a different position within a genome, or to another genome
Italian trasposone
- trasposonesegment of DNA that can move to a different position within a genome, or to another genome
Polish transpozon
- transpozonsegment of DNA that can move to a different position within a genome, or to another genome
Cite this entry
transposon. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/transposon
“transposon.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/transposon. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “transposon,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/transposon.
Source: transposon on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.