reading frame

noun

: a sequence of nucleotide triplets that is potentially translatable into a polypeptide and that is determined by the placement of a codon that initiates translation

Examples of reading frame in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
According to a study published in April 2020, mutations identified in the nonstructural protein NSP6 and open reading frame Orf10 likely prevent autophagosomes from delivering material to the lysosome. William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 7 Sep. 2021

Word History

First Known Use

1961, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of reading frame was in 1961

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Cite this Entry

“Reading frame.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reading%20frame. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

Medical Definition

reading frame

noun
read·​ing frame ˈrēd-iŋ- How to pronounce reading frame (audio)
: any of the three possible ways of reading a sequence of nucleotides as a series of triplets see open reading frame
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