Meanings
plural proteases
- 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 1952 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 39For 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
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Englishprote(in)
- 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
- Englishprotease
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
protease. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/protease
“protease.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/protease. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “protease,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/protease.
Source: protease on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.