sticky end: Meaning and Definition of

stick'y end'

Pronunciation: [key]
— Genetics, Biotech.
  1. a single-stranded end of DNA or RNA having a nucleotide base sequence complementary to that of another strand, enabling the two strands to be connected by base pairing: produced in the laboratory with the use of restriction enzymes for genetic engineering purposes.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.