Standard Lemma guide

proteolysis

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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  • rhymes with -ɒlɪsɪs
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The hydrolysis of proteins into peptides and amino acids, especially as part of the digestion of food.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

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

the hydrolysis of proteins into peptides and amino acids by cleavage of their peptide bonds

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: chemical process, chemical change, chemical action

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English proteo- Proto-Indo-European *lewh1-der. Ancient Greek λύω (lúō) Proto-Indo-European *-tis Ancient Greek -τις (-tis) Ancient Greek -σις (-sis) Ancient Greek λῠ́σῐς (lŭ́sĭs)der. English -lysis English proteolysis From proteo- + -lysis.

Across languages

Translations

4 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Finnish: proteolyysi — the hydrolysis of proteins
  • French: protéolyse — the hydrolysis of proteins
  • Indonesian: proteolisis — the hydrolysis of proteins
  • Italian: proteolisi — the hydrolysis of proteins