enhancer

noun

en·​hanc·​er in-ˈhan(t)-sər 

en-

1

: one that enhances

2

: a nucleotide sequence that increases the rate of genetic transcription by preferentially increasing the activity of the nearest promoter on the same DNA molecule

Examples of enhancer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Plant your own varieties of hot pepper plants and enjoy a squirrel-free summer and some tasty flavor enhancers for meals. —Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 4 Sep. 2025

Valdez’s deal also dismissed two violent-crime sentence enhancers. —Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 4 Sep. 2025

But still, private equity can play a meaningful role in retirement portfolios – not only as a potential return enhancer, but also as a diversification tool that gives exposure to parts of the economy otherwise out of reach. —Dave Smith, Fortune, 24 Aug. 2025

Creatine is a popular performance enhancer for athletes, known for helping muscles power through short bursts of activity. —Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for enhancer

• merganser
• romancer
• anser
• answer
• cancer
• dancer
• lancer
• anticancer
• necromancer

Medical Definition

enhancer

noun

en·​hanc·​er in-ˈhan(t)-sər, en- 

: a nucleotide sequence that increases the rate of genetic transcription by increasing the activity of the nearest promoter on the same DNA molecule