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
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
/ˈtɛləmɪəɹ/
/ˈtiːləmɪəɹ/
Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:T EH1 L AH0 M IY0 R
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
Either of the sequences of DNA at each end of a eukaryotic chromosome.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
2004, Peter M. Lansdorp, 11: Telomeres and Telomere Regulation, Robert Paul Lanza (editor), Handbook of Stem Cells, Volume 2: Adult and Fetal Stem Cells, page 127, Chromosome ends or telomeres are composed of guanine-rich repeat sequences and associated proteins. A minimum number of repeats is essential for proper telomere function and to avoid sustained activation of DNA damage pathways that may result in replicative senescence or cell death.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
either (free) end of a eukaryotic chromosome
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
telomeres act as caps to keep the sticky ends of chromosomes from randomly clumping together
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: end, terminal
History
Etymology
From telo- (“end”) + -mere (“part”).
Across languages
Translations
19 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Chinese Mandarin:
端粒
(duān lì)
— either of the sequences of DNA at each end of a eukaryotic chromosome
Finnish:
telomeeri
— either of the sequences of DNA at each end of a eukaryotic chromosome
French:
télomère
— either of the sequences of DNA at each end of a eukaryotic chromosome
Hindi:
अंत्यलक
(antyalak)
— either of the sequences of DNA at each end of a eukaryotic chromosome
Icelandic:
litningsendi
— either of the sequences of DNA at each end of a eukaryotic chromosome
Japanese:
テロメア
(teromea)
— either of the sequences of DNA at each end of a eukaryotic chromosome
Japanese:
末端小粒
(mattanshōryū)
— either of the sequences of DNA at each end of a eukaryotic chromosome
Kazakh:
теломера
(telomera)
— either of the sequences of DNA at each end of a eukaryotic chromosome
Polish:
telomer
— either of the sequences of DNA at each end of a eukaryotic chromosome
Portuguese:
telómero
— either of the sequences of DNA at each end of a eukaryotic chromosome
Portuguese:
telômero
— either of the sequences of DNA at each end of a eukaryotic chromosome
Romanian:
telomer
— either of the sequences of DNA at each end of a eukaryotic chromosome
Slovak:
teloméra
— either of the sequences of DNA at each end of a eukaryotic chromosome
Spanish:
telómero
— either of the sequences of DNA at each end of a eukaryotic chromosome
Swedish:
telomer
— either of the sequences of DNA at each end of a eukaryotic chromosome
Tamil:
முனைக்கூறு
(muṉaikkūṟu)
— either of the sequences of DNA at each end of a eukaryotic chromosome
Tamil:
ஈற்றுப்பாத்து
(īṟṟuppāttu)
— either of the sequences of DNA at each end of a eukaryotic chromosome
Turkish:
telomer
— either of the sequences of DNA at each end of a eukaryotic chromosome
Welsh:
telomer
— either of the sequences of DNA at each end of a eukaryotic chromosome
