papain

American

[puh-pey-in, -pahy-in] / pəˈpeɪ ɪn, -ˈpaɪ ɪn /

noun

Biochemistry. a proteolytic enzyme found in the fruit of the papaya tree, Carica papaya.
Pharmacology. a commercial preparation of this used as a meat tenderizer and in medicine as a digestant.

papain British

/ pəˈpeɪɪn, -ˈpaɪɪn /

noun

a proteolytic enzyme occurring in the unripe fruit of the papaya tree, Carica papaya: used as a meat tenderizer and in medicine as an aid to protein digestion

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of papain

First recorded in 1885–90; papa(ya) + -in ²

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"People don’t realize that this 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund goes well beyond first responders," Papain said.

From Fox News • Sep. 7, 2021

"No department was more devastated than the fire department on 9/11," Papain said.

From Fox News • Sep. 7, 2021

The total number of people who count as 9/11 survivors, or those who lived, worked or went to school below Canal Street between the aforementioned dates, is around 100,000, Papain said.

From Fox News • Jul. 29, 2021

The bride's father is a partner in the Manhattan law firm Sullivan Papain Block McGrath & Cannavo.

From New York Times • Jul. 28, 2018

Papain is an amorphous substance, perfectly white, soluble in water, insipid, odorless.

From The Medicinal Plants of the Philippines by Thomas, Jerome Beers

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023