DNA

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See also: dna and dną

English

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WOTD – 26 April 2023

Pronunciation

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A model of part of a DNA molecule (etymology 1, sense 1) showing its double-helix structure.

Etymology 1

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The noun is an initialism of deoxyribonucleic acid.[1] The verb is derived from the noun.

Noun

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DNA (countable and uncountable, plural DNAs)

  2. (biochemistry, genetics) Initialism of deoxyribonucleic acid (“a nucleic acid found in all living things (and some non-living things such as certain viruses) which consists of two polynucleotide chains that coil around each other to form a double helix; encoded in its structure are genetic instructions for development, functioning, growth, and reproduction”).
    • 1948 March–April, Martin D[avid] Kamen, “Detection of Intermediates, Criteria of Purity”, in Louis H. Roddis, editor, Supplement to the United States Naval Medical Bulletin on Preparation and Measurement of Isotopes and Some of Their Medical Aspects, Washington, D.C.: Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, U.S. Navy; U.S. Government Printing Office, →OCLC, page 118:
      Among the various fractions isolated was one presumed to contain only desoxyribosenucleic acid (DNA). Because of certain speculations on the role of nucleic acids in protein synthesis it was necessary to measure and compare the rate of phosphate entry into DNA with that in other fractions of yeast phosphate.
      Desoxyribosenucleic acid is an archaic name of deoxyribonucleic acid.
    • 1953 April 25, J[ames] D[ewey] Watson, F[rancis] H[arry] C[ompton] Crick, “Molecular Structure of Nucleic Acids: A Structure for Deoxyribose Nucleic Acid”, in Nature: A Weekly Illustrated Journal of Science‎[1], volume 171, number 4356, London: Macmillan and Co.; New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2015-04-03, page 737, column 1:
      We wish to suggest a structure for the salt of deoxyribose nucleic acid (D.N.A.). This structure has novel features which are of considerable biological interest.
    • 1968 March 8, Arthur Kornberg (witness), “Statement of Dr. Arthur Kornberg, Professor and Executive Head of the Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, Calif.”, in National Commission on Health Science and Society: Hearings before the Subcommittee on Government Research of the Committee on Government Operations, United States Senate, Ninetieth Congress, Second Session on S.J. Res. 145: A Joint Resolution for the Establishment of the National Commission on Health Science and Society […], Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, →OCLC, page 40:
      As you know, heredity resides in our genes. Our genes are, in turn, composed of complex molecules called DNA. About 10 years ago we learned how to synthesize DNA in the test tube with the use of a certain cellular catalyst or enzyme. […] During the past year, we have been able to synthesize DNA which has the full genetic activity of natural DNA.
    • 1988 August, John W. Hicks, “DNA Profiling: A Tool for Law Enforcement”, in Thomas J. Deakin, editor, FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, volume 57, number 8, Washington, D.C.: Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Department of Justice; Office of Congressional and Public Affairs, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 1, column 3:
      Recent breakthroughs in DNA technology are expected to provide investigators with powerful forensic tools to help solve these difficult kinds of cases.
    • 2020, Tina M. Henkin, Joseph E. Peters, “Bacterial Genetic Analysis: Fundamentals and Current Approaches”, in Snyder & Champness: Molecular Genetics of Bacteria, 5th edition, Washington, D.C.: ASM Press, →ISBN, page 157, column 1:
      [I]n bacteria, recombination between the DNAs of different organisms usually occurs between a piece of DNA from one strain of a bacterium, called the donor strain, and the entire chromosome of another strain, called the recipient strain.
  3. (informal, loosely) The part of a living thing that carries genetic information.
  4. (figuratively) The fundamental nature or values of a person, or an organization or other thing, especially when considered as innate and/or immutable.
    • 2003, Kevin [John] Kennedy, Mary Moore, “The Predictable Challenges Faced by Dominant Companies”, in Going the Distance: Why Some Companies Dominate and Others Fail, Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Financial Times Prentice Hall, →ISBN, page 14:
      These ingredients in a company's DNA mean that [the] company will attract and grow leaders with these qualities.
    • 2012, Bill McBean, “Fact 1: If You Don’t Lead, No One Will Follow”, in The Facts of Business Life: What Every Successful Business Owner Knows that You Don’t, Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley & Sons, →ISBN, page 58:
      The main leadership priority at Level 2 is creating the business's DNA by defining how all the moving parts of the company will work, both independently and together.
    • 2022 April 13, Ryan Bort, “The Real Reason Republicans are Loading Their 2022 Campaign Ads with Guns”, in Rolling Stone‎[2], New York, N.Y.: Penske Media Corporation, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2022-12-09:
      But this new fixation on guns is […] coming from the hardcore MAGA set, and not only is it likely to stick around beyond the primaries, it's likely hardwired into the DNA of a party now driven by extremism, conspiracy, and a belief that violence is a legitimate tool to achieve desired political outcomes.
    • 2022 October, Past Cases Review 2‎[3], National Safeguarding Steering Group of the Church of England, archived from the original on 2024-06-11, page 4:
      We cannot have a culture that sees safeguarding as a separate add-on. It needs to be part of our DNA, as an expression of our love for one another and our commitment to the Gospel.
Hyponyms
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Derived terms
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Translations
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Verb

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DNA (third-person singular simple present DNAs, present participle DNAing, simple past and past participle DNAed)

  1. (transitive) To examine a sample of (someone's) deoxyribonucleic acid.
    • 2002, Matthew Stokoe, High Life, New York, N.Y.: Akashic Books, published 2008, →ISBN, page 261:
      The only way we're gonna know is if we DNA him against the spunk in Karen.
    • 2004, Michael Sheridan, Death in December: The Story of Sophie Toscan Du Plantier, updated edition, Dublin: O’Brien, →ISBN, page 194:
      The barrister went on to say that his client 'remains persecuted and victimised. He has been DNAed; his hair, his blood and his clothes. Nothing. No charges have ever been brought.'
    • 2020, Julian Mitchell, A Devon Deception‎[4], Kibworth Beauchamp, Leicestershire: Matador, →ISBN:
      Maybe nothing to do with the break-in, but worth fingerprinting the wrapper and DNAing the gum.
Translations
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Etymology 2

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An initialism of the various terms listed below. The verb sense is derived from noun sense 7.

Proper noun

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DNA

  1. (US, military, historical) Defense Nuclear Agency, an agency of the United States Department of Defense which existed from 1971 to 1996 and has since been reorganized as the Defense Threat Reduction Agency.

Phrase

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DNA

  1. Did not answer.
  2. Did not arrive (used when someone fails to keep an appointment).
  3. Did not attend.
  4. Do not assume.
  5. Does not apply.
  6. Drugs 'n' alcohol.
  8. (US, military) Do not arm (that is, do not provide with a firearm).

Verb

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DNA (third-person singular simple present DNAs, present participle DNAing, simple past and past participle DNAed)

  1. (US, military) To place (someone) under a DNA (do not arm) order because of mental illness.
Translations
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References

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  1. ^ “DNA, n.”, in OED Online Paid subscription required⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, September 2022; “DNA, n.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.

Further reading

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Anagrams

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Chinese

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Etymology

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Borrowed from English DNA.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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DNA

  1. DNA
    Synonym: 脫氧核糖核酸／脱氧核糖核酸 (tuōyǎnghétánghésuān)
    驗DNA／验DNA [Cantonese]  ―  jim6 di1 en1 ei1 [Jyutping]  ―  to do a DNA test

Dutch

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Pronunciation

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Etymology 1

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Borrowed from English DNA.

Noun

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DNA n (plural DNA's)

  1. Initialism of desoxyribonucleïnezuur (“deoxyribonucleic acid”).

Etymology 2

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Initialism of De Nationale Assemblee (“The National Assembly”).

Proper noun

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DNA f or m

  1. (Suriname) National Assembly of Suriname
Derived terms
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Anagrams

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Finnish

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Etymology

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Borrowed from English DNA.

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /ˈdeːˌænˌɑː/, [ˈde̞ːˌænˌɑ̝ː]
  • Rhymes: -ɑː

Noun

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DNA

  1. DNA

Declension

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Inflection of DNA (Kotus type 18/maa)
singular plural
nominative DNA DNA:t
genitive DNA:n DNA:iden
DNA:itten
partitive DNA:ta DNA:ita
accusative DNA
DNA:n 		DNA:t
inessive DNA:ssa DNA:issa
elative DNA:sta DNA:ista
illative DNA:han DNA:ihin
adessive DNA:lla DNA:illa
ablative DNA:lta DNA:ilta
allative DNA:lle DNA:ille
essive DNA:na DNA:ina
translative DNA:ksi DNA:iksi
abessive DNA:tta DNA:itta
instructive – DNA:in
comitative – DNA:ineen

Derived terms

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compounds

Further reading

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Anagrams

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French

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Proper noun

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DNA f pl (plural only)

  1. Initialism of Les Dernières Nouvelles d’Alsace (“Latest News from Alsace, a French periodical”).

Anagrams

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German

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Etymology

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Borrowed from English DNA, from deoxyribonucleic acid. Replacing DNS from the calque Desoxyribonukleinsäure.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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DNA f (genitive DNA, no plural)

  1. (molecular biology) DNA, Synonym of Desoxyribonukleinsäure

Derived terms

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Further reading

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  • “DNA” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache

Italian

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Etymology

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Borrowed from English DNA.

Noun

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DNA

  1. DNA
    Synonym: ADN

Anagrams

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Japanese

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Etymology

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From English DNA.

Pronunciation

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  • (Tokyo) ディーエヌエー [dìíénúéꜜè] (Nakadaka – [5])
  • IPA(key): [dʲiːe̞nɯ̟e̞ː]

Noun

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DNA(ディーエヌエー) • (dī-enu-ē) 

  1. (genetics, biochemistry) Synonym of デオキシリボ核酸 (deokishiribo-kakusan, “deoxyribonucleic acid”); DNA

See also

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Norwegian Bokmål

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Noun

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DNA n (definite singular DNA-et, indefinite plural DNA, definite plural DNA-a or DNA-ene)

  1. DNA

Norwegian Nynorsk

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Noun

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DNA n (definite singular DNA-et, indefinite plural DNA, definite plural DNA-a)

  1. DNA

Polish

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Polish Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia pl
DNA

Etymology

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Orthographic borrowing from English DNA.

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /dɛ.ɛnˈa/
  • Audio:(file)
  • Rhymes: -a
  • Syllabification: D‧N‧A

Noun

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DNA m inan or n (indeclinable)

  1. (genetics, molecular biology) Abbreviation of kwas dezoksyrybonukleinowy.
    Synonyms: kwas deoksyrybonukleinowy, kwas dezoksyrybonukleinowy

Further reading

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  • DNA in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
  • DNA in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Portuguese

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Etymology

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Orthographic borrowing from English DNA.

Noun

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DNA m (plural DNAs)

  1. Alternative form of ADN

Romanian

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Noun

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DNA n (plural DNA-uri)

  1. (initialism) Direcția Națională Anticorupție.

Declension

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singular plural
indefinite definite indefinite definite
nominative-accusative DNA DNA-ul DNA-uri DNA-urile
genitive-dative DNA DNA-ului DNA-uri DNA-urilor
vocative DNA-ule DNA-urilor

Spanish

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Noun

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DNA m (plural DNA)

  1. (biochemistry) DNA
    Synonym: ADN

Further reading

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Swahili

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Etymology

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Borrowed from English DNA.

Proper noun

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DNA

  1. DNA
    Synonym: ADN

Swedish

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Swedish Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia sv

Alternative forms

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Noun

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DNA n

  1. (biochemistry, genetics) DNA
    Synonym: deoxiribonukleinsyra

Declension

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Declension of DNA
nominative genitive
singular indefinite DNA DNA:s
definite DNA:t DNA:ts
plural indefinite — —
definite — —

See also

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References

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Tagalog

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Etymology

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Borrowed from English DNA, an initialism of deoxyribonucleic acid.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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DNA (Baybayin spelling ᜇ᜔ᜈ)

  1. (biochemistry, genetics) DNA

Further reading

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  • “DNA”, in Pambansang Diksiyonaryo | Diksiyonaryo.ph, Manila, 2018

Turkish

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Noun

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DNA

  1. Initialism of deoksiribonükleik asit. DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)
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