1. Organic compounds containing a ring structure made up of atoms of two or more different elements, typically carbon and nitrogen, oxygen, or sulfur.
Usage: chemistry; plural form of heterocycle; commonly used in organic chemistry and pharmaceutical research

Examples

• Pyridine and pyrrole are common heterocycles used in organic synthesis.
• Many pharmaceuticals contain heterocycles in their molecular structure.
• The chemist studied various heterocycles to develop new drug candidates.
• Heterocycles are important building blocks in medicinal chemistry.
• The reaction produced several heterocycles with different ring sizes.
• Nitrogen-containing heterocycles are frequently found in natural products.