Meanings
plural hydrogenases
- biochemistryAny enzyme that catalyzes the reduction of a substrate by the reversible oxidation of hydrogen.
It is clear from the experiments cited already that we are dealing with a bacterial enzyme comparable with the dehydrogenases, the substrate in this case being molecular hydrogen. […] In order to conform with the accepted terminology we suggest that this enzyme be called "hydrogenase."
1930, Marjory Stephenson, LH Stickland, “Hydrogenase: a bacterial enzyme activating molecular hydrogen”, in Biochemical Journal
Origin
From hydrogen + -ase, after dehydrogenase.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
French hydrogénase
- hydrogénaseTranslations
German Hydrogenase
- HydrogenaseTranslations
Italian idrogenasi
- idrogenasiTranslations
Cite this entry
hydrogenase. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hydrogenase
“hydrogenase.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hydrogenase. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “hydrogenase,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hydrogenase.
Source: hydrogenase on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.