enkeltstrenget

Enkeltstrenget is a compound adjective used in Norwegian, Danish and Swedish to describe something with a single string or strand. The term combines enkelt meaning "single" and streng or its variants meaning "string" or "strand." In scientific writing, particularly in biology, enkeltstrenget usually describes nucleic acids that consist of a single polynucleotide chain, as in enkeltstrenget DNA or enkeltstrenget RNA. This usage is parallel to the English term "single-stranded."

The form and exact spelling vary by language and grammatical gender; the definite form in Norwegian, for example, may appear as enkeltstrengen, and the base forms may differ (enkeltsträng in Swedish). The term is primarily used in technical or descriptive contexts rather than as a proper noun. Outside biology, the expression can describe a device, rope, or instrument with only one string or line, though such usages are less standardized. In translation, enkeltstrenget is typically rendered as "single-stranded" in English.