papain

[ puh-pey-in, -pahy-in ]

noun

Biochemistry. a proteolytic enzyme found in the fruit of the papaya tree, Carica papaya.
Pharmacology. a commercial preparation of this used as a meat tenderizer and in medicine as a digestant.

Origin of papain

First recorded in1885–90; papa(ya) + -in²

Words Nearby papain

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

How to use papain in a sentence

Several writers claim good results with glycerole of papain, pricking it in in the same manner as in tattooing.
Essentials of Diseases of the Skin | Henry Weightman Stelwagon
Various chemists have attempted to find papain present and to determine the digestive power of the tablets, but without success.
The Propaganda for Reform in Proprietary Medicines, Vol. 2 of 2 | Various
Its selling point, in the past at least, has been the alleged presence of papain.
The Propaganda for Reform in Proprietary Medicines, Vol. 1 of 2 | Various

British Dictionary definitions for papain

papain

/ (pəˈpeɪɪn, -ˈpaɪɪn) /

noun

a proteolytic enzyme occurring in the unripe fruit of the papaya tree, Carica papaya: used as a meat tenderizer and in medicine as an aid to protein digestion

Origin of papain

C19: from papaya

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

Browse