Standard Lemma guide

beta-lactamase

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

An enzyme produced by certain bacteria, responsible for their resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics such as penicillin.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: biochemistry, biology, chemistry, microbiology, natural-sciences, physical-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: lactamase

2

noun

Meaning 2

enzyme produced by certain bacteria that inactivates penicillin and results in resistance to that antibiotic

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: penicillinase

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: enzyme

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English beta Latin lacder. English lacto- German Ketonbor. English ketone English -one English lac(tone) Egyptian jmnbor. Ancient Greek Ᾰ̓́μμων (Ắmmōn)bor. Latin Ammōn Latin ammoniacusder. English ammonia Proto-Indo-European *dheh1-der. Proto-Italic *-iðos Latin -idusder. English -ide English am(ide) English lactam English beta-lactam Proto-Indo-European *dwóh1 Proto-Indo-European *dwísder. Ancient Greek διά (diá) Ancient Greek δῐᾰ- (dĭă-) Proto-Indo-European *steh2- Proto-Indo-European *stísteh2ti Proto-Hellenic *hístāmi Ancient Greek ῐ̔́στημῐ (hĭ́stēmĭ) Ancient Greek δῐῐ̈́στημῐ (dĭĭ̈́stēmĭ) Ancient Greek δῐᾰ́στᾰσῐς (dĭắstăsĭs) English diastase English -ase English beta-lactamase From beta-lactam + -ase.

Across languages

Translations

3 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Finnish: beetalaktamaasi — enzyme produced by certain bacteria, responsible for their resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics
  • Hungarian: béta-laktamáz — enzyme produced by certain bacteria, responsible for their resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics
  • Italian: betalattamasi — enzyme produced by certain bacteria, responsible for their resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics