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.

QUIZZES

DON’T VACILLATE! VANQUISH THIS WORD OF THE DAY QUIZ!

It’d be a real faux pas to miss this quiz on the words from August 3–9, 2020!
Question 1 of 7
What does “vacillate” mean?
to waver in mind or opinion; be indecisive or irresolute.
to cause to be empty or unoccupied.
to assent tacitly; agree; consent.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of cholinesterase

First recorded in 1930–35; choline + esterase

Words nearby cholinesterase

cholinergic, cholinergic blockade, cholinergic fiber, cholinergic receptor, cholinergic urticaria, cholinesterase, cholinesterase inhibitor, cholinoceptive, cholinolytic, cholinomimetic, cholinoreactive
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

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

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