Etymology

phospholipase

P3H4O1S1P3H4O1L1I1P3A1S1E1

Today it means: Any of several enzymes that hydrolyze the phosphate ester bonds of phospholipids. Full definition →

English lipase ← Latin phōsphorus ← Ancient Greek φωσφόρος (phōsphóros)
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The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European*bʰeh₂-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*bʰéh₂os
  3. Proto-Hellenic*pʰáwos
  4. Ancient Greekφᾰ́ος (phắos)
  5. Ancient Greekφῶς (phôs)
  6. Ancient Greekφωσφόρος (phōsphóros)
  7. Latinphōsphorus
  8. Englishphosphorus
  9. Englishphospho-
  10. Englishlipase
  11. English todayphospholipase

From phospho- + lipase.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.