n.
Pronunciation: ' pyu ̇ r- ˌ ē n
Function: noun
Etymology: German Purin, from Latin purus pure + New Latin uricus uric (fr. English uric ) + German -in 2 -ine
Date: 1898
1 : a crystalline base C 5 H 4 N 4 that is the parent of compounds of the uric-acid group
2 : a derivative of purine especially : a base (as adenine or guanine) that is a constituent of DNA or RNA