lipase

[ lahy-peys, lip-eys ]

/ ˈlaɪ peɪs, ˈlɪp eɪs /

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noun Biochemistry.

any of a class of enzymes that break down fats, produced by the liver, pancreas, and other digestive organs or by certain plants.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

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Origin of lipase

First recorded in 1895–1900; lip- + -ase

Words nearby lipase

lip, lipa, lipaemia, Lipan, Lipari Islands, lipase, Lipchitz, lip curl, lipectomy, lipedema, lipemia

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

British Dictionary definitions for lipase

lipase

/ (ˈlaɪpeɪs, ˈlɪpeɪs) /

noun

any of a group of fat-digesting enzymes produced in the stomach, pancreas, and liver and also occurring widely in the seeds of plants

Word Origin for lipase

C19: from Greek lipos fat + -ase

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

Scientific definitions for lipase

lipase

[ lĭp′ās′, lī′pās′ ]

Any of various enzymes that catalyze the hydrolysis of fats, especially triglycerides and phospholipids, into glycerol and fatty acids.