protease

P3R1O1T1E1A1S1E1
/ˈpɹəʊtɪeɪz/

noun

An enzyme that cuts or cleaves proteins.

Similar
peptidaseproteinaseproteolytic enzyme

Meanings

nounprotease (plural proteases)

plural proteases

  1. biochemistryAn enzyme that cuts or cleaves proteins.

    As a matter of fact the casein protease digests boiled and coagulated serum far more easily than unboiled serum, as set forth by the following experiments.

    1903 November 2, S. G. Hedin, “On the presence of a proteolytic enzyme in the normal serum of the ox”, in The Journal of Physiology, volume 30, number 2, page 195
    2 more examples

    All were tested for their ability to clot milk and to hydrolyze denatured hemoglobin, egg albumin, protamine (salmon), histone (calf thymus), and benzoyl-l-arginineamide. In no case was any trace of protease activity detected.

    1948 September 20, Margaret R. McDonald, “A method for the preparation of "protease-free" crystalline ribonuclease”, in Journal of General Physiology, volume 32, number 1, page 39

    For our purposes, it is sufficient to note that dysregulation of desquamatory protease activity in the SC is often involved in conditions of compromised skin barrier.

    2015, Raja Sivamani, Jared R. Jagdeo, Peter Elsner, Cosmeceuticals and Active Cosmetics

Synonyms & antonyms

nounany enzyme that catalyzes the splitting of proteins into smaller peptide fractions and amino acids by a process known as proteolysis

Similar
peptidaseproteinaseproteolytic enzyme
Broader

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Englishprote(in)
  2. Proto-Indo-European*dwóh₁
  3. Proto-Indo-European*trísinflu.
  4. Proto-Indo-European*dwís
  5. Ancient Greekδιά (diá)
  6. Ancient Greekδῐᾰ- (dĭă-)
  7. Proto-Indo-European*steh₂-
  8. Proto-Indo-European*stísteh₂ti
  9. Proto-Hellenic*hístāmi
  10. Ancient Greekῐ̔́στημῐ (hĭ́stēmĭ)
  11. Ancient Greekδῐῐ̈́στημῐ (dĭĭ̈́stēmĭ)
  12. Ancient Greekδῐᾰ́στᾰσῐς (dĭắstăsĭs)
  13. Englishdiastase
  14. Englishprotease

From prote(in) + -ase.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan proteasa
  • proteasaenzyme
Chinese Mandarin 蛋白酶
  • 蛋白酶 (dànbáiméi)enzyme
Czech proteáza
  • proteázaenzyme
Finnish proteaasi
  • proteaasienzyme
French protéase
  • protéaseenzyme
German Protease, Peptidase
  • Proteaseenzyme
  • Peptidaseenzyme
  • Proteinaseenzyme
Hindi प्रोभूजिनेद
  • प्रोभूजिनेद (probhūjined)enzyme
Irish próitéáis
  • próitéáisenzyme
Italian proteasi
  • proteasienzyme
Japanese プロテアーゼ, 蛋白質分解酵素
  • プロテアーゼ (puroteāze)enzyme
  • 蛋白質分解酵素 (tanpakushitsu bunkai kōso)enzyme
Korean 프로테아제, 단백질 분해 효소
  • 프로테아제 (peuroteaje)enzyme
  • 단백질 분해 효소 (danbaekjil bunhae hyoso)enzyme
Polish peptydaza
  • peptydazaenzyme
Portuguese protease
  • proteaseenzyme
Spanish proteasa
  • proteasaenzyme
Welsh proteas
  • proteasenzyme

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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