uracil

U1R1A1C3I1L1
/ˈjʊərəsɪl/

noun

One of the bases of RNA, pairing with adenine.

Similar
U
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Meanings

nounuracil (countable and uncountable, plural uracils)

plural uracils

  1. countableuncountablechemistryOne of the bases of RNA, pairing with adenine.

    We did have some success with uracil when we would preincorporate the uracil into a mutant of E. coli that had a uracil requirement and then feed this cellular content from E. coli.

    2013, W. C. Corning, Stanley C. Ratner, Chemistry of Learning: Invertebrate Research, page 191

    Synonyms: U

Synonyms & antonyms

nounOne of the bases of RNA, pairing with adenine.

Similar
U

More synonyms by meaning

nouna base containing nitrogen that is found in RNA (but not in DNA) and derived from pyrimidine; pairs with adenine

Similar
U
Broader
nucleotidebase
Also see
u

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

From uro- + ac(etic) + -ile. Coined in 1885 by the German chemist Robert Behrend, who was attempting to synthesize derivatives of uric acid.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian ураци́л
  • ураци́л (uracíl)one of the bases of RNA
Catalan uracil
  • uracilone of the bases of RNA
Chinese Mandarin 尿嘧啶
  • 尿嘧啶 (niàomìdìng)one of the bases of RNA
Czech uracil
  • uracilone of the bases of RNA
Esperanto uracilo
  • uraciloone of the bases of RNA
Finnish urasiili
  • urasiilione of the bases of RNA
French uracile
  • uracileone of the bases of RNA
German Uracil
  • Uracilone of the bases of RNA
Hungarian uracil
  • uracilone of the bases of RNA
Italian uracile
  • uracileone of the bases of RNA
Japanese ウラシル
  • ウラシル (urashiru)one of the bases of RNA
Portuguese uracil, uracilo
  • uracilone of the bases of RNA
  • uraciloone of the bases of RNA
  • uracilaone of the bases of RNA
Russian ураци́л
  • ураци́л (uracíl)one of the bases of RNA
Spanish uracilo
  • uraciloone of the bases of RNA

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

lauricUralicUlricacurial
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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