Standard Lemma guide

Rubisco

noun · 2 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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  • /ruːˈbiskoʊ/

1

noun

Meaning 1

An enzyme (ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase oxygenase) which catalyzes both the fixing of atmospheric carbon dioxide during photosynthesis (and for a few chemioautotrophic bacteria) and the reverse process of photorespiration.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

Topics: biochemistry, biology, chemistry, microbiology, natural-sciences, physical-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Alternative form of Rubisco.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: alt-of, alternative, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From RuBisCO

Coined in 1979 by David Eisenberg, from r(ib)u(lose) + bis(phosphate) + c(arboxylase) + o(xygenase). Coinage was in 1979 at a seminar honoring the retirement of the early, prominent RuBisCO researcher, Sam Wildman, and also alluded to the snack food trade name "Nabisco" in reference to Wildman's attempts to create an edible protein supplement from tobacco leaves.