hypervariable

adjective

hy·​per·​var·​i·​able ˌhī-pər-ˈver-ē-ə-bəl How to pronounce hypervariable (audio)
: relating to or being any of the relatively short extremely variable polypeptide chain segments in the light chain or heavy chain of an antibody
also : relating to, containing, or being a highly variable nucleotide sequence

Examples of hypervariable in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Their reconstruction based on archaeological, linguistic or human genetic data is often hampered by the limited number of informative polymorphisms in classical human genetic markers, such as the hypervariable regions of the mitochondrial DNA. Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 20 July 2011

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hypervariable.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1970, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hypervariable was in 1970

Dictionary Entries Near hypervariable

Cite this Entry

“Hypervariable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hypervariable. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Medical Definition

hypervariable

adjective
hy·​per·​vari·​able -ˈver-ē-ə-bəl, -ˈvar- How to pronounce hypervariable (audio)
: relating to or being any of the relatively short polypeptide chain segments in the variable region of an antibody light chain or heavy chain that are extremely variable in the sequence of their amino acid residues and that determine the conformation and specificity of the site which recognizes and combines with an antigen
also : relating to, containing, or being a highly variable nucleotide sequence
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