Quantcast
 
Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web

pyrimidine

 - 5 dictionary results

py⋅rim⋅i⋅dine

[pahy-rim-i-deen, pi-, pir-uh-mi-deen, -din]
–noun Biochemistry.
1. a heterocyclic compound, C4H4N2, that is the basis of several important biochemical substances.
2. one of several pyrimidine derivatives, esp. the bases cytosine, thymine, and uracil, which are fundamental constituents of nucleic acids.

Origin:
1880–85; b. pyridine and imide
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2010.
Cite This Source Link To pyrimidine
py·rim·i·dine   (pī-rĭm'ĭ-dēn', pĭ-)   
n.  
  1. A single-ringed, crystalline organic base, C4H4N2, that forms uracil, cytosine, or thymine and is the parent compound of many drugs, including the barbiturates.

  2. Any of several organic compounds derived from or structurally related to pyrimidine, especially the nitrogen bases uracil, cytosine, and thymine.


[Alteration of pyridine.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: py·rim·i·dine
Pronunciation: pI-'rim-&-"dEn, p&-
Function: noun
1 : a weakly basic organic compoundC4H2N2 of penetrating odor that is composed of a single six-membered ring having four carbon atoms with nitrogen atoms in positions one and three
2 : a derivative of pyrimidine having its characteristic ring structure; especially : a base (as cytosine, thymine, or uracil) that is a constituent of DNA or RNA
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
Cite This Source

pyrimidine py·rim·i·dine (pī-rĭm'ĭ-dēn', pĭ-)
n.

  1. A crystalline organic base that is the parent substance of various biologically important derivatives.

  2. Any of several basic compounds derived from or structurally related to pyrimidine, especially the nucleic acid constituents uracil, cytosine, and thymine.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
Science Dictionary
pyrimidine   (pī-rĭm'ĭ-dēn')  Pronunciation Key 
Any of a group of organic compounds having a single six-member ring in which the first and third atoms are nitrogen and the rest are carbon. Pyrimidines include the bases cytosine, thymine, and uracil, which are components of DNA and RNA. Pyrimidine rings are also components of several larger compounds, such as thiamine and some synthetic barbiturates.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see pyrimidine on Thesaurus | Reference