Final answer:
The word 'transcribe' is used to describe the process of making a complementary RNA sequence from a DNA template because during transcription, the RNA molecule is synthesized using the DNA sequence as a template.
Step-by-step explanation:
The word 'transcribe' is used to describe the process of making a complementary RNA sequence from a DNA template because during transcription, the RNA molecule is synthesized using the DNA sequence as a template. The nucleotides in the RNA molecule follow complementary base pairing rules with the DNA, where adenine (A) in the DNA pairs with uracil (U) in the RNA. This process is similar to how a scribe would copy a text from one document to another, where the scribe transcribes the same information onto a different medium. In this case, the DNA sequence is being transcribed onto an RNA molecule.