polymerase

[ pol-uh-muh-reys, -reyz ]
/ ˈpɒl ə məˌreɪs, -ˌreɪz /

noun Biochemistry.

any of several enzymes that catalyze the formation of a long-chain molecule by linking smaller molecular units, as nucleotides with nucleic acids.
Compare DNA polymerase, RNA polymerase.

Origin of polymerase

First recorded in 1955–60; polymer + -ase

Words nearby polymerase

polymathy, polymelia, polymenorrhea, polymer, polymer fume fever, polymerase, polymeria, polymeric, polymerism, polymerization, polymerize

British Dictionary definitions for polymerase

polymerase
/ (pəˈlɪməreɪz) /

noun

any enzyme that catalyses the synthesis of a polymer, esp the synthesis of DNA or RNA

Medical definitions for polymerase

polymerase
[ pŏl′ə-mə-rās′, -rāz′ ]

n.

Any of various enzymes that catalyze polymerization, especially those that catalyze the synthesis of polynucleotides of DNA or RNA using an existing strand of DNA or RNA as a template.

Scientific definitions for polymerase

polymerase
[ pə-lĭm′ə-rās′, pŏl′ə-mə-rās′ ]

Any of various enzymes, such as DNA polymerase, RNA polymerase, or reverse transcriptase, that catalyze the formation of sequences of DNA or RNA using an existing strand of DNA or RNA as a template.