Illustration of DNA
- A molecular model
- 1 hydrogen
- 2 oxygen
- 3 carbon in the helical phosphate ester chains
- 4 carbon and nitrogen in the cross-linked purine and pyrimidine bases
- 5 phosphorus
- B double helix
DNA
noun
: any of various nucleic acids that are usually the molecular basis of heredity, are constructed of a double helix held together by hydrogen bonds between purine and pyrimidine bases (see base entry 1 sense 6b) which project inward from two chains containing alternate links of deoxyribose and phosphate, and that in eukaryotes are localized chiefly in cell nuclei compare recombinant dna
Examples of DNA in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In a World Like This Tour (2013–2015), and DNA World Tour (2019–2024).
—
Katie Decker-Jacoby, StyleCaster, 18 Feb. 2025
Person of Interest became a meditation on the post-9/11 surveillance state, transcending its network-procedural DNA.
Yellowjackets, whose third season premiered last Friday on Paramount+ with Showtime, fits that mold to an extent.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 18 Feb. 2025
Peets was convicted in 1996 and exonerated in 2022, after DNA testing eliminated him as the shooter.
—Elizabeth Keogh, New York Daily News, 18 Feb. 2025
The lab said its scientists were able to locate a potential relative of Elbow Shield using an analysis technique called forensic-grade genome sequencing, where DNA profiles are built out from a sample of crime scene evidence.
—Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 17 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for DNA 
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Katie Decker-Jacoby, StyleCaster, 18 Feb. 2025
Person of Interest became a meditation on the post-9/11 surveillance state, transcending its network-procedural DNA.
Yellowjackets, whose third season premiered last Friday on Paramount+ with Showtime, fits that mold to an extent.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 18 Feb. 2025
Peets was convicted in 1996 and exonerated in 2022, after DNA testing eliminated him as the shooter.
—Elizabeth Keogh, New York Daily News, 18 Feb. 2025
The lab said its scientists were able to locate a potential relative of Elbow Shield using an analysis technique called forensic-grade genome sequencing, where DNA profiles are built out from a sample of crime scene evidence.
—Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 17 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for DNA
Dictionary Entries Near DNA
Cite this Entry
“DNA.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/DNA. Accessed 22 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
DNA
noun
: any of various nucleic acids that are located especially in cell nuclei, are usually the chemical basis of heredity, and are composed of two nucleotide chains held together by hydrogen bonds in a pattern resembling a flexible twisted ladder compare rna
Medical Definition
DNA
noun
: any of various nucleic acids that are usually the molecular basis of heredity, are constructed of a double helix held together by hydrogen bonds between purine and pyrimidine bases which project inward from two chains containing alternate links of deoxyribose and phosphate, and that in eukaryotes are localized chiefly in cell nuclei
called also deoxyribonucleic acid
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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