enzyme

en·zyme
E1N1Z10Y4M3E1
Canada, US, UK/ˈɛn.zaɪm/Australia/ˈen.zɑem/New Zealand[ˈen.zɑe̯m]

noun

A biomolecule that catalyses a biological chemical reaction: either a globular protein with this function or an RNA molecule with this function.

OriginGerman Enzym →
CommonScrabble 20
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Meanings

nounenzyme (countable and uncountable, plural enzymes)

plural enzymes

  1. countableuncountablebiochemistryA biomolecule that catalyses a biological chemical reaction: either a globular protein with this function or an RNA molecule with this function.
    1. countableuncountablestrictlybiochemistryThe protein type specifically.
  2. countableuncountableChristianityLeavened bread, as opposed to azyme.

Origin

  1. GermanEnzym
  2. Englishenzyme

From German Enzym, coined 1878 by the German physiologist Wilhelm Kühne from Ancient Greek ἐν (en, “in”) + ζύμη (zúmē, “leaven”). By surface analysis, en- + zyme.

More words from German

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Afrikaans ensiem
  • ensiemcatalytic protein
Arabic إِنْزِيم
  • إِنْزِيم (ʔinzīm)catalytic protein
Basque entzima
  • entzimacatalytic protein
Bulgarian ензим
  • ензим (enzim)catalytic protein
Catalan enzim
  • enzimcatalytic protein
Chinese Cantonese 酶, 酵素
  • 酶 (mui⁴)catalytic protein
  • 酵素 (gaau³ sou³, haau¹ sou³)catalytic protein
Chinese Mandarin 酶, 酵素
  • 酶 (méi)catalytic protein
  • 酵素 (jiàosù)catalytic protein
Czech enzym
  • enzymcatalytic protein
Danish enzym
  • enzymcatalytic protein
Dutch enzym
  • enzymcatalytic protein
Esperanto enzimo
  • enzimocatalytic protein
Finnish entsyymi
  • entsyymicatalytic protein
French enzyme
  • enzymecatalytic protein
German Enzym
  • Enzymcatalytic protein
Greek ένζυμο
  • ένζυμο (énzymo)catalytic protein
Hebrew אנזים
  • אנזיםcatalytic protein
Hungarian enzim
  • enzimcatalytic protein
Icelandic ensím
  • ensímcatalytic protein
Indonesian enzim
  • enzimcatalytic protein
Irish einsím
  • einsímcatalytic protein
Italian enzima
  • enzimacatalytic protein
Japanese 酵素
  • 酵素 (kōso)catalytic protein
Korean 효소
  • 효소 (hyoso)catalytic protein
Latvian enzīms
  • enzīmscatalytic protein
Lithuanian fermentas, enzimas
  • fermentascatalytic protein
  • enzimascatalytic protein
Malay enzim
  • enzimcatalytic protein
Māori pūmua whākōkī, whākōkī
  • pūmua whākōkīcatalytic protein
  • whākōkīcatalytic protein
Norwegian Bokmål enzym
  • enzymcatalytic protein
Persian آنزیم, زیمایه
  • آنزیم (ânzim)catalytic protein
  • زیمایه (zi-mâye)catalytic protein
Polish enzym
  • enzymcatalytic protein
Portuguese enzima
  • enzimacatalytic protein
Russian ферме́нт, энзи́м
  • ферме́нт (fermént)catalytic protein
  • энзи́м (enzím)catalytic protein
Spanish enzima
  • enzimacatalytic protein
Swedish enzym
  • enzymcatalytic protein
Tamil என்சைம்
  • என்சைம் (eṉcaim)catalytic protein
Thai เอนไซม์
  • เอนไซม์ (en-saai)catalytic protein
Turkish enzim
  • enzimcatalytic protein
Ukrainian ферме́нт, ензим
  • ферме́нт (fermént)catalytic protein
  • ензим (enzym)catalytic protein
Vietnamese enzim, men tiêu hoá
  • enzimcatalytic protein
  • men tiêu hoácatalytic protein

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with enzyme

timecrimeprimesublimemimeclimblimeparadigmdimerhymechimethymegrimerimezymeclimeabzymebegrimeberhymebeslimebetimechymecymedeclimb
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

enzyme. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/enzyme

MLA

“enzyme.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/enzyme. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “enzyme,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/enzyme.

Source: enzyme on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.