kinase

American

[kahy-neys, -neyz, kin-eys, -eyz] / ˈkaɪ neɪs, -neɪz, ˈkɪn eɪs, -eɪz /

noun

Biochemistry.

a transferase that catalyzes the phosphorylation of a substrate by ATP.

kinase British

/ ˈkɪn-, ˈkaɪneɪz /

noun

any enzyme that can convert an inactive zymogen to the corresponding enzyme
any enzyme that brings about the phosphorylation of a molecule

"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

kinase Scientific

/ kī′nās′,-nāz′,kĭn′ās′,-āz′ /

Any of various enzymes that catalyze the transfer of a phosphate group from a donor, such as ADP or ATP, to an acceptor.

Etymology

Origin of kinase

First recorded in 1900–05; kin(etic) + -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.

JAK inhibitors are therapeutic agents that block Janus kinase enzymes to treat diseases.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 27, 2026

Both the Terns pill, code-named TERN-701, and Scemblix are second-generation versions of drugs that inhibit a growth promoter of cancer cells, called tyrosine kinase.

From Barron's • Dec. 9, 2025

The protein ZAK -- a so-called kinase, that is, an enzyme which activates other molecules by transferring a phosphate group to them -- plays a central role in controlling this stress response.

From Science Daily • Nov. 25, 2025

The researchers found that betaine binds to and blocks TBK1, a kinase that drives inflammation.

From Science Daily • Nov. 13, 2025

In testing this theory, the researchers found that they could recreate the disease in human liver cells just by increasing the amount of the normal kinase.

From Science Daily • Jun. 18, 2024

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