phosphatase

P3H4O1S1P3H4A1T1A1S1E1

noun

Any of several enzymes that hydrolyze phosphate esters, and are important in the metabolism of carbohydrates, nucleotides and phospholipids, and in the formation of bone.

OriginEnglish diastase ← Ancient Greek δῐᾰ́στᾰσῐς (dĭắstăsĭs) ← Proto-Hellenic *hístāmi →
Less commonScrabble 21
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Meanings

nounphosphatase (countable and uncountable, plural phosphatases)

plural phosphatases

  1. countableuncountablebiochemistryAny of several enzymes that hydrolyze phosphate esters, and are important in the metabolism of carbohydrates, nucleotides and phospholipids, and in the formation of bone.

    These results are in accordance with the observations of Pirani et al., who found that in normal pregnancy there was no correlation between serum heat-stable alkaline phosphatase activity and crude baby weight or placental weight.

    2018, A.S. Curry, Biochemistry of Women Methods, page 241

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
dephosphatase

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*bʰeh₂-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*bʰéh₂os
  3. Proto-Hellenic*pʰáwos
  4. Ancient Greekφᾰ́ος (phắos)
  5. Ancient Greekφῶς (phôs)
  6. Proto-Indo-European*bʰer-
  7. Proto-Indo-European*bʰéreti
  8. Proto-Hellenic*pʰérō
  9. Ancient Greekφέρω (phérō)
  10. Ancient Greekφωσφόρος (phōsphóros)
  11. Latinphōsphorus
  12. Frenchphosphore
  13. Frenchphosphate
  14. Englishphosphate
  15. Proto-Indo-European*dwóh₁
  16. Proto-Indo-European*trísinflu.
  17. Proto-Indo-European*dwís
  18. Ancient Greekδιά (diá)
  19. Ancient Greekδῐᾰ- (dĭă-)
  20. Proto-Indo-European*steh₂-
  21. Proto-Indo-European*stísteh₂ti
  22. Proto-Hellenic*hístāmi
  23. Ancient Greekῐ̔́στημῐ (hĭ́stēmĭ)
  24. Ancient Greekδῐῐ̈́στημῐ (dĭĭ̈́stēmĭ)
  25. Ancient Greekδῐᾰ́στᾰσῐς (dĭắstăsĭs)
  26. Englishdiastase
  27. Englishphosphatase

From phosphate + -ase.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 磷酸酶
  • 磷酸酶 (lín suān méi)an enzyme that hydrolyzes phosphate esters
Czech fosfatáza
  • fosfatázaan enzyme that hydrolyzes phosphate esters
Finnish fosfataasi
  • fosfataasian enzyme that hydrolyzes phosphate esters
French phosphatase
  • phosphatasean enzyme that hydrolyzes phosphate esters
German Phosphatase
  • Phosphatasean enzyme that hydrolyzes phosphate esters
Italian fosfatasi
  • fosfatasian enzyme that hydrolyzes phosphate esters
Portuguese fosfatase
  • fosfatasean enzyme that hydrolyzes phosphate esters
Spanish fosfatasa
  • fosfatasaan enzyme that hydrolyzes phosphate esters
Swedish fosfatas
  • fosfatasan enzyme that hydrolyzes phosphate esters
Vietnamese photphataza
  • photphatazaan enzyme that hydrolyzes phosphate esters
Cite this entry
APA

phosphatase. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/phosphatase

MLA

“phosphatase.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/phosphatase. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “phosphatase,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/phosphatase.

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