prophage

noun

pro·​phage ˈprō-ˌfāj How to pronounce prophage (audio)
-ˌfäzh
: an intracellular form of a bacteriophage in which it is harmless to the host, is usually integrated into the hereditary material of the host, and reproduces when the host does

Examples of prophage in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web But sometimes, a prophage gets trapped by a crippling mutation. Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 5 Jan. 2011 In their analysis of infant stool samples, Vatanen, Jabbar and their colleagues identified an apparent example: A prophage that was integrated into the DNA of one bacterial species showed up in a different bacterium months later. Yasemin Saplakoglu, Quanta Magazine, 17 Jan. 2023 Within the bacterial genome, the viral DNA is called a prophage. Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 5 Jan. 2011 The prophage is little more than a genetic parasite. Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 5 Jan. 2011 Once activated, the prophage cuts itself out of the bacterial genome, replicates and then packages its DNA into phages. Quanta Magazine, 16 Oct. 2018 Known as a prophage, this stretch of foreign DNA can persist for generations before activating. Quanta Magazine, 16 Oct. 2018 In the right conditions—say, if the bacteria are damaged, stressed, or exposed to certain conditions—prophages can awaken. Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 1 Feb. 2018

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

Word History

Etymology

pro- entry 1 + phage after French probactériophage, from pro- pro- entry 1 + bactériophage bacteriophage

Note: The French word probactériophage was introduced by André Lwoff and Antoinette Gutmann in "Recherches sur un Bacillus megatherium lysogène," Annales de l'Institut Pasteur, vol. 78, no. 6 (June, 1950), p. 734.

First Known Use

1951, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of prophage was in 1951

Dictionary Entries Near prophage

Cite this Entry

“Prophage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prophage. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Medical Definition

prophage

noun
pro·​phage ˈprō-ˌfāj How to pronounce prophage (audio) -ˌfäzh How to pronounce prophage (audio)
: an intracellular form of a bacteriophage in which it is harmless to the host, is usually integrated into the hereditary material of the host, and reproduces when the host does

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