nucleic acid: Meaning and Definition of

nu•cle'ic ac'id

Pronunciation: (n-klē'ik, -klā'-, ny-), [key]
— Biochem. Biochem.
  1. any of a group of long, linear macromolecules, either DNA or various types of RNA, that carry genetic information directing all cellular functions: composed of linked nucleotides.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.