mcclintock: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Low (primarily as a proper noun)Formal, academic, historical
Quick answer
What does “mcclintock” mean?
A surname, most famously associated with Barbara McClintock, a Nobel Prize-winning American scientist.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A surname, most famously associated with Barbara McClintock, a Nobel Prize-winning American scientist.
As a surname, it is a patronymic of Scottish and Northern Irish origin, meaning 'son of the devotee of (St) Findlaech' or from other Gaelic personal names. It is also the name of places (e.g., McClintock Island), ships, and scientific terms (e.g., McClintock Point) named after bearers of the surname.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage is identical in reference to the person or surname. The spelling and pronunciation are consistent.
Connotations
In an academic/scientific context, it strongly connotes groundbreaking work in cytogenetics and transposable elements. In a general UK/Irish context, it may be recognized as a Scottish/Northern Irish surname.
Frequency
Marginally more frequent in American English due to Barbara McClintock's prominence in U.S. science history.
Grammar
How to Use “mcclintock” in a Sentence
McClintock discovered [NOUN PHRASE].[NOUN PHRASE] is named after McClintock.The research by McClintock demonstrated that...Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “mcclintock” in a Sentence
adjective
British English
- McClintock-style experimentation
American English
- a McClintock-era discovery
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually unused, except possibly in company or brand names.
Academic
Frequently used in biology, genetics, history of science, and women's studies contexts to refer to the scientist or her discoveries.
Everyday
Rarely used in everyday conversation unless discussing science history or genealogy.
Technical
Used specifically in genetics literature to refer to 'McClintock's experiments', 'McClintock's transposons', or the 'McClintock mechanism'.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “mcclintock”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “mcclintock”
- Misspelling as 'McClintok' or 'McClintock' without the second 'c'.
- Mispronouncing the first syllable as /mæk/ instead of /mə/.
- Using it as a common noun (e.g., 'a mcclintock').
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is a low-frequency proper noun (surname). Its familiarity depends heavily on context, being well-known in scientific and academic circles but not in general everyday vocabulary.
The most common pronunciation is /məˈklɪnˌtɑːk/ in American English and /məˈklɪn.tək/ in British English. The stress is on the second syllable.
No, it is strictly a proper noun (name). However, in technical academic writing, it can be used attributively in compound nouns (e.g., 'McClintock's theory', 'McClintock element') functioning similarly to an adjective.
Proper nouns of significant cultural, historical, or scientific importance are often included in encyclopedic or learner's dictionaries. 'McClintock' meets this criterion due to the landmark nature of the associated scientific discoveries.
A surname, most famously associated with Barbara McClintock, a Nobel Prize-winning American scientist.
Mcclintock is usually formal, academic, historical in register.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'Mc' (as in Scottish surname) + 'Clint' (like the actor) + 'ock' (like 'rock'). A rock-solid scientist named McClint.
Conceptual Metaphor
A METONYMY FOR GROUNDBREAKING GENETIC DISCOVERY (e.g., 'That paper is the McClintock of the field' would imply it is foundational and revolutionary).
Practice
Quiz
In which field is Barbara McClintock most renowned?