Word.ws English Dictionary

nuclein

UK/ˈnjuː.klɪ.ɪn/US/ˈn(j)u.kli.ɪn/

nuclein noun: a phosphorus-rich protein found in the nucleus of a cell, later specifically nucleohistone or nucleoprotamine; also, any similar compound present in the cell nucleus.

Noun

nuclein (countable and uncountable, plural nucleins)

  1. A phosphorus-rich protein found in the nucleus of a cell, later specifically nucleohistone or nucleoprotamine; also, any similar compound present in the cell nucleus.
    • While delving microscopically through the pus in surgical bandages, Miescher found a substance he didn't recognize and called it nuclein (because it resided in the nuclei of cells).2003, Bill Bryson, A Short History of Nearly Everything, BCA, published 2003, page 354

Forms of nuclein

pluralnucleins

Origin of nuclein

From German Nuclein, corresponding to nucleus + -in.

Questions about nuclein

What does nuclein mean?
Nuclein means a phosphorus-rich protein found in the nucleus of a cell, later specifically nucleohistone or nucleoprotamine; also, any similar compound present in the cell nucleus.
What part of speech is nuclein?
Nuclein is a noun.
How do you pronounce nuclein?
Nuclein is pronounced /ˈnjuː.klɪ.ɪn/ (UK).
What is the plural of nuclein?
The plural of nuclein is nucleins.

Words near nuclein in the dictionary

  1. nucleicity
  2. nucleide
  3. nucleides
  4. nucleiform
  5. nucleii
  6. nuclein
  7. nucleins
  8. nucleo-
  9. nucleo-capsular
  10. nucleoalbumin
  11. nucleoalbumins

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: nuclein (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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