phosphodiesterase

noun

Any of a family of enzymes that catalyze the cleavage of phosphodiester links in nucleic acids.

OriginEnglish diastase ← Ancient Greek δῐᾰ́στᾰσῐς (dĭắstăsĭs) ← Proto-Hellenic *hístāmi →
UncommonScrabble 28
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Meanings

nounphosphodiesterase (plural phosphodiesterases)

plural phosphodiesterases

  1. biochemistryAny of a family of enzymes that catalyze the cleavage of phosphodiester links in nucleic acids.

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. Englishphosphorus
  13. Englishphospho-
  14. Proto-Indo-European*dwóh₁
  15. Proto-Indo-European*dwi-
  16. Proto-Hellenic*dwi-
  17. Ancient Greekδῐ- (dĭ-)
  18. Latindi-
  19. Englishdi-
  20. Proto-Indo-European*h₂eḱ-
  21. Proto-Indo-European*h₂eḱéh₁yeti
  22. Proto-Italic*akēō
  23. Latinaceō
  24. Latinacēscō
  25. Latinacētum
  26. Proto-West Germanic*aket
  27. Proto-West Germanic*atek
  28. Old High Germaneȥȥih
  29. Middle High Germaneȥȥich
  30. GermanEssich
  31. GermanEssig
  32. Proto-Indo-European*h₂eydʰ-
  33. Proto-Hellenic*áitʰō
  34. Ancient Greekαἴθω (aíthō)
  35. Ancient Greekᾱ̓ήρ (āḗr)influ.?
  36. Ancient Greekαἰθήρ (aithḗr)
  37. Latinaethēr
  38. GermanÄther
  39. GermanEster
  40. Englishester
  41. Englishdiester
  42. Englishphosphodiester
  43. Proto-Indo-European*dwóh₁
  44. Proto-Indo-European*trísinflu.
  45. Proto-Indo-European*dwís
  46. Ancient Greekδιά (diá)
  47. Ancient Greekδῐᾰ- (dĭă-)
  48. Proto-Indo-European*steh₂-
  49. Proto-Indo-European*stísteh₂ti
  50. Proto-Hellenic*hístāmi
  51. Ancient Greekῐ̔́στημῐ (hĭ́stēmĭ)
  52. Ancient Greekδῐῐ̈́στημῐ (dĭĭ̈́stēmĭ)
  53. Ancient Greekδῐᾰ́στᾰσῐς (dĭắstăsĭs)
  54. Englishdiastase
  55. Englishphosphodiesterase

From phosphodiester + -ase.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

phosphodiesterase. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/phosphodiesterase

MLA

“phosphodiesterase.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/phosphodiesterase. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “phosphodiesterase,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/phosphodiesterase.

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