cholinesterase

[ koh-luh-nes-tuh-reys, -reyz, kol-uh- ]

/ ˌkoʊ ləˈnɛs təˌreɪs, -ˌreɪz, ˌkɒl ə- /

noun Biochemistry.

an enzyme, found especially in the heart, brain, and blood, that hydrolyzes acetylcholine to acetic acid and choline.

Nearby words

cholinergic, cholinergic blockade, cholinergic fiber, cholinergic receptor, cholinergic urticaria, cholinesterase, cholinesterase inhibitor, cholinoceptive, cholinolytic, cholinomimetic, cholinoreactive

Origin of cholinesterase

First recorded in 1930–35; choline + esterase

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

British Dictionary definitions for cholinesterase

cholinesterase

/ (ˌkəʊlɪˈnɛstəˌreɪs, ˌkɒl-) /

noun

an enzyme that hydrolyses acetylcholine to choline and acetic acid

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 cholinesterase

cholinesterase

[ kō′lə-nĕs′tə-rās′, -rāz′ ]

n.

An enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of choline esters chiefly at nerve terminals, where it hydrolyzes and inactivates acetylcholine.acetylcholinesterase