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.

Words nearby acetylcholinesterase

acetylaniline, acetylate, acetylation, acetylbenzene, acetylcholine, acetylcholinesterase, acetylcysteine, acetylene, acetylene series, acetylformic acid, acetylic

Origin of acetylcholinesterase

First recorded in 1945–50; acetylcholine + esterase

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

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

Medicine definitions for acetylcholinesterase

acetylcholinesterase

[ ə-sēt′l-kō′lə-nĕs′tə-rās′, -rāz′ ]

n.

cholinesterase