esterase

American

[es-tuh-reys, -reyz] / ˈɛs təˌreɪs, -ˌreɪz /

noun

Biochemistry.

any enzyme that hydrolyzes an ester into an alcohol and an acid.

esterase British

/ ˈɛstəˌreɪs, -ˌreɪz /

noun

any of a group of enzymes that hydrolyse esters into alcohols and acids

"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

Etymology

Origin of esterase

First recorded in 1915–20; ester + -ase

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

They noticed that soldiers had higher levels of a particular protein—an enzyme that degrades juvenile hormone, called juvenile hormone esterase, or Jhe.

From Science Magazine

Page 199 “acetylcholine esterase.” - had “acetylcholin”.

From Project Gutenberg

It inactivates an enzyme which controls the transmission of nerve impulses to muscle, acetylcholine esterase.

From Project Gutenberg

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023