repressor

/rɪˈprɛsər/
noun
  1. A person or thing that suppresses or holds back something, such as emotions, actions, or natural processes.
    • The strict teacher was seen as a repressor of creativity in the classroom.
    • In therapy, she learned to identify the inner repressor that kept her from expressing her true feelings.
    • The government acted as a repressor of free speech, silencing all opposition.
  2. In biology, a protein that prevents the expression of a gene by binding to a specific region of DNA.
    • Mutations in the repressor can lead to uncontrolled gene expression and disease.
    • The repressor binds to the operator region to block transcription of the gene.
    • Scientists studied how the repressor protein regulates the production of enzymes in bacteria.
What does "repressor" mean? | whatsthatwordmean | whatsthatwordmean