Standard Lemma guide

peptidase

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

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1

noun

Meaning 1

Any enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of peptides into amino acids; a protease.

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

2

noun

Meaning 2

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

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: protease, proteinase, proteolytic enzyme

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: enzyme

Narrower terms: caspase, angiotensin converting enzyme, angiotensin-converting enzyme, ACE, plasminogen activator, urokinase, renin

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *pekw- Proto-Indo-European *pékw-ye- Proto-Hellenic *péťťō Ancient Greek πέσσω (péssō)bf. Ancient Greek πέπτω (péptō) Ancient Greek πεπτόν (peptón)der. German Peptonbor. English peptone Proto-Indo-European *dheh1-der. Proto-Italic *-iðos Latin -idusder. English -ide ▲ German Pepton ▲ Latin -idusder. German -id German Peptidbor. English peptide 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 peptidase From peptide + -ase.