Meanings
nounesterase (plural esterases)
plural esterases
- biochemistryAny enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of an ester
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂eḱ-
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂eḱéh₁yeti
- Proto-Italic*akēō
- Latinaceō
- Latinacēscō
- Latinacētum
- Proto-West Germanic*aket
- Proto-West Germanic*atek
- Old High Germaneȥȥih
- Middle High Germaneȥȥich
- GermanEssich
- GermanEssig
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂eydʰ-
- Proto-Hellenic*áitʰō
- Ancient Greekαἴθω (aíthō)
- Ancient Greekᾱ̓ήρ (āḗr)influ.?
- Ancient Greekαἰθήρ (aithḗr)
- Latinaethēr
- GermanÄther
- GermanEster
- Englishester
- Proto-Indo-European*dwóh₁
- Proto-Indo-European*trísinflu.
- Proto-Indo-European*dwís
- Ancient Greekδιά (diá)
- Ancient Greekδῐᾰ- (dĭă-)
- Proto-Indo-European*steh₂-
- Proto-Indo-European*stísteh₂ti
- Proto-Hellenic*hístāmi
- Ancient Greekῐ̔́στημῐ (hĭ́stēmĭ)
- Ancient Greekδῐῐ̈́στημῐ (dĭĭ̈́stēmĭ)
- Ancient Greekδῐᾰ́στᾰσῐς (dĭắstăsĭs)
- Englishdiastase
- Englishesterase
From ester + -ase.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Catalan esterasa
- esterasaany of a certain class of enzymes
Chinese Mandarin 酯酶
- 酯酶 (zhǐ méi)any of a certain class of enzymes
Czech esteráza
- esterázaany of a certain class of enzymes
Finnish esteraasi
- esteraasiany of a certain class of enzymes
Polish esteraza
- esterazaany of a certain class of enzymes
Romanian esterază
- esterazăany of a certain class of enzymes
Spanish esterasa
- esterasaany of a certain class of enzymes
Cite this entry
APA
esterase. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/esterase
MLA
“esterase.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/esterase. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “esterase,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/esterase.
Source: esterase on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.