cholinesterase

American  

[koh-luh-nes-tuh-reys, -reyz, kol-uh-] / ˌkoʊ ləˈnɛs təˌreɪs, -ˌreɪz, ˌkɒl ə- /

noun

Biochemistry.

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

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cholinesterase British  

/ ˌkɒl-, ˌkəʊlɪˈnɛstəˌreɪs /

noun

1. an enzyme that hydrolyses acetylcholine to choline and acetic acid

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Etymology

Origin of cholinesterase

First recorded in 1930–35; choline + esterase

Example Sentences

Navalny did not display “a clinical pattern characteristic of a poisoning by cholinesterase inhibitors,” he added.

From Washington Post • Aug. 25, 2020

The cholinesterase inhibitors found in Navalny’s system reportedly block the breakdown of acetycholine, a vital chemical that transmits signals between nerve cells.

From Fox News • Aug. 25, 2020

Repeated exposure may lower the cholinesterase level until an individual reaches the brink of acute poisoning—a brink over which he may be pushed by a very small additional exposure.

From The New Yorker • Jan. 3, 2017

The reason sage may have an effect is because it contains a cholinesterase inhibitor, a chemical which prevents the breakdown of the neurotransmitter, acetylcholine.

From BBC • Oct. 29, 2014

The balance is delicate and government veterinarians have found that repeated small doses can gradually deplete an animal’s supply of the protective enzyme cholinesterase, so that without warning a minute additional dose will cause poisoning.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson