molecule

mol·e·cule | \ ˈmä-li-ˌkyül

Definition of molecule

1 : the smallest particle of a substance that retains all the properties (see property sense 1a) of the substance and is composed of one or more atoms (see atom sense 1a) a molecule of water a molecule of oxygen

2 : a tiny bit : particle a molecule of political honesty — Time

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Examples of molecule in a Sentence

There is not a molecule of evidence to support these charges. not a molecule of sense in that girl

Recent Examples on the Web This tissue is filled with neurons, which pick up the odor molecule and transport it through the olfactory bulb and into the brain, where it's interpreted as, say, the scent of roses. — Erika Edwards, NBC News, "Loss of smell and taste can linger after Covid or come back different," 6 Jan. 2021 Some viruses have genetic codes of DNA, the same molecule that carries the genetic information in human cells. — Sarah Toy, WSJ, "New Covid-19 Strains: What Scientists Know About Coronavirus Variants," 1 Jan. 2021 The lab doesn’t sequence the entire DNA molecule, much of which is repetitious and uninformative, but maps about a million key locations. — Douglas Preston, The New Yorker, "The Skeletons at the Lake," 7 Dec. 2020 TGen has already started studying the molecule in collaboration with professor Maurizio Zanetti's lab at the University of California, San Diego. — Amanda Morris, The Arizona Republic, "Arizona researchers discover potential new genetic target against COVID-19 infections," 6 Dec. 2020 It’s the molecule that actually instructs your cells what to make, such as proteins. — Sy Mukherjee, Fortune, "The science behind the leading COVID vaccines will lead to faster manufacturing," 5 Dec. 2020 The final clue was buried in an industry report from 1983, which contained the exact formula of 6PPD-quinone, the molecule created when 6PPD reacts with ozone. — Erik Stokstad, Science | AAAS, "Common tire chemical implicated in mysterious deaths of at-risk salmon," 3 Dec. 2020 An understanding of that structure could define BCL-XL’s binding properties, which is the first step in inhibiting the molecule. — Scientific American, "An Ongoing Revolution in Blood Cancer," 1 Dec. 2020 The sigma-1 receptor—the ER molecule targeted by fluvoxamine and other SSRIs—also emerged as a promising target in an independent analysis designed to fight the pandemic with repurposed drugs. — Esther Landhuis, Wired, "How a Medication for OCD Ended Up in a Covid-19 Trial," 19 Nov. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'molecule.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.