telomere
noun
Simple meaning
Either end of a eukaryotic chromosome.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
tehluhmirSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈtɛləmɪɹ
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
genetics
Either (free) end of a eukaryotic chromosome
“Telomeres act as caps to keep the sticky ends of chromosomes from randomly clumping together.”
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- C2 · Proficient (estimated)
- Frequency
- Rare
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
This meaning: Either (free) end of a eukaryotic chromosome
Used this way, telomere is a common word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
“Telomeres act as caps to keep the sticky ends of chromosomes from randomly clumping together.”
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use telomere
- “Telomeres act as caps to keep the sticky ends of chromosomes from randomly clumping together.”noun
Share your sentence
Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Tap the highlighted word to open its own entry.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Related words
Connected by subject or meaning, not by word formation.
An enzyme in eukaryotic cells that can add telomeres to the ends of chromosomes after they divide.
Use This Word
See how this word sounds in a real sentence.
Ask Vocabaura
Understand the word your way.
What Does It Mean Here?
Words can change meaning depending on context.
Use it yourself
Keep learning “telomere” by choosing the kind of practice you need next.
- Practice sentence writingWrite sentences with vocabulary and get instant feedback.
- Practice in contextAnswer short vocabulary questions drawn from real situations.
- Review vocabularyTest your recall and strengthen words over time.
- Practice typingType vocabulary in short rounds that draw from words you've learned and saved.
Want to type words like this one without looking at the keyboard? Each typing round draws from words you've learned, saved or need to review. Follow the free Learn to Type lessons and type your own vocabulary with confidence.
Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.