subunit
noun
sub·unit
ˈsəb-ˌyü-nət 
variants
or less commonly sub-unit
plural subunits also sub-units
: a unit that is part of a larger unit : a subdivision of a unit
In the U.S. Army's case … the smallest subunit is the squad (nine to twelve individuals under a sergeant).—
Norman Friedman
Norman FriedmanBecause of a quirk in the replicative machinery, when a strand of DNA is duplicated during mitosis, a few subunits at one end are always lost.—John Rennie
John RennieExamples of subunit in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Notably, the genetic sequence of a key component of the virus — the hemagglutinin subunit — was an exact match to the hemagglutinin sequences from two earlier human cases tied to the dairy outbreak, officials said.
—Andrew Joseph, STAT, 16 July 2024
Microbes in the rumen break large molecules — especially cellulose — into smaller subunits.
—Bob Holmes, Discover Magazine, 29 June 2024
Enlarge / Microbes in the rumen break large molecules—especially cellulose—into smaller subunits.
—Bob Holmes, Ars Technica, 20 June 2024
Integral to the design of new facades were synthetic polymers: materials made of chains of repeating subunits, and which are the main ingredient of household plastics.
—Alex Christian, WIRED, 1 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for subunit 
Andrew Joseph, STAT, 16 July 2024
Microbes in the rumen break large molecules — especially cellulose — into smaller subunits.
—Bob Holmes, Discover Magazine, 29 June 2024
Enlarge / Microbes in the rumen break large molecules—especially cellulose—into smaller subunits.
—Bob Holmes, Ars Technica, 20 June 2024
Integral to the design of new facades were synthetic polymers: materials made of chains of repeating subunits, and which are the main ingredient of household plastics.
—Alex Christian, WIRED, 1 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for subunit
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'subunit.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near subunit
Cite this Entry
“Subunit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subunit. Accessed 19 Aug. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
subunit
noun
sub·unit
ˈsəb-ˌyü-nət
: a unit that forms a discrete part of a more comprehensive unit
subunits of a protein
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share