Thymidine
/ˈθaɪ.mɪ.diːn/noun
A nucleoside composed of thymine and deoxyribose, found in DNA.
Did you know?Thymidine was named from thymine, which was itself named after thymus tissue, and that chain ultimately reaches the Greek word thymon, linked to thyme—a plant long associated with fragrance, courage, and ritual smoke.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
θύμον (thýmon)
“Thyme, the fragrant herb.”
Late Latin
Latin
thymus
“Thyme; later also used in scientific naming for the thymus gland.”
1840s
Latin/English
thymus
“The thymus gland, named for its supposed resemblance to the thyme plant.”
1890s
English
thymine
“A pyrimidine base in nucleic acids, named from thymus.”
1920s
English
thymidine
“A nucleoside formed from thymine and deoxyribose.”