acetylcholinesterase

[ uh-seet-l-koh-luh-nes-tuh-reys, -reyz, uh-set-, as-i-tl- ]
/ əˌsit lˌkoʊ ləˈnɛs təˌreɪs, -ˌreɪz, əˌsɛt-, ˌæs ɪ tl- /

noun Biochemistry.

an enzyme that hydrolyzes the neurotransmitter acetylcholine: its action is blocked by nerve gases and certain drugs.

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Origin of acetylcholinesterase

First recorded in 1945–50; acetylcholine + esterase

Words nearby acetylcholinesterase

acetylaniline, acetylate, acetylation, acetylbenzene, acetylcholine, acetylcholinesterase, acetylcysteine, acetylene, acetylene series, acetylformic acid, acetylic
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

British Dictionary definitions for acetylcholinesterase

acetylcholinesterase
/ (əˈsiːtaɪlˌkəʊliːnˈɛstərˌeɪz, ˈæsɪtaɪl-) /

noun

an enzyme in nerve cells that is responsible for the destruction of acetylcholine and thus for switching off excitation of the nerve
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

Medical definitions for acetylcholinesterase

acetylcholinesterase
[ ə-sēt′l-kō′lə-nĕs′tə-rās′, -rāz′ ]

n.

cholinesterase
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.