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A compound made up of the condensation of a small number (typically fewer than 20) of nucleotides. Cf.:polynucleotide.
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oli·go·nu·cle·o·tide -'n(y)ü-klē-ə-.tīd n a relatively short single-stranded nucleic-acid chain (as an oligodeoxynucleotide or oligoribonucleotide) usu. consisting of up to approximately 20 nucleotides
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ol·i·go·nu·cle·o·tide (ol″ĭ-go-nooґkle-o-tīd) [oligo- + nucleotide] a single-stranded nucleic acid segment of a few (usually fewer than 20) nucleotides, particularly one produced by recombinant technology and used as a probe or primer.Medical dictionary. 2011.