thymine

[ thahy-meen, -min ]

nounBiochemistry.
  1. a pyrimidine base, C5H6N2O2, that is one of the principal components of DNA, in which it is paired with adenine. Symbol: T

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Origin of thymine

1
First recorded in 1890–95; thym(ic)2 + -ine2

Words Nearby thymine

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use thymine in a sentence

  • Of the four basic components on the right, thymine occurs in the nucleic acid from the thymus gland.

    History of Phosphorus | Eduard Farber
  • The difference between these two bases is one methyl group: thymine is a 5-methyluracil.

    History of Phosphorus | Eduard Farber

British Dictionary definitions for thymine

thymine

/ (ˈθaɪmiːn) /


noun
  1. a white crystalline pyrimidine base found in DNA. Formula: C 5 H 6 N 2 O 2

Origin of thymine

1
C19: from thymic (see thymus) + -ine ²

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for thymine

thymine

[ thīmēn′ ]


  1. A pyrimidine base that is a component of DNA. It forms a base pair with adenine. Chemical formula: C5H6N2O2.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.