Standard Lemma guide

pyrimidine

noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • /paɪˈɹɪ.mɪˌdiːn/
  • /pɪˈɹɪ.mɪˌdiːn/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A diazine in which the two nitrogen atoms are in the meta- positions; it is the basis of three of the bases found in DNA and RNA: thymine, uracil and cytosine

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: chemistry, natural-sciences, organic-chemistry, physical-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

a heterocyclic organic compound with a penetrating odor

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: organic compound

3

noun

Meaning 3

any of several basic compounds derived from pyrimidine

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: base, alkali

Narrower terms: cytosine, C, thymine, T

History

Etymology

First attested in 1885. From German Pyrimidin, from German Pyridin (“pyridine”), with the insertion of -mi- from amidine.

Across languages

Translations

10 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Cantonese: 嘧啶 (mat6 ding6) — diazine in which the two nitrogen atoms are in the meta-positions
  • Chinese Mandarin: 嘧啶 (mìdìng) — diazine in which the two nitrogen atoms are in the meta-positions
  • Finnish: pyrimidiini — diazine in which the two nitrogen atoms are in the meta-positions
  • French: pyrimidine — diazine in which the two nitrogen atoms are in the meta-positions
  • Galician: pirimidina — diazine in which the two nitrogen atoms are in the meta-positions
  • Italian: pirimidina — diazine in which the two nitrogen atoms are in the meta-positions
  • Japanese: ピリミジン (pirimijin) — diazine in which the two nitrogen atoms are in the meta-positions
  • Kazakh: пиримидин (pirimidin) — diazine in which the two nitrogen atoms are in the meta-positions
  • Korean: 피리미딘 (pirimidin) — diazine in which the two nitrogen atoms are in the meta-positions
  • Spanish: pirimidina — diazine in which the two nitrogen atoms are in the meta-positions