Standard Lemma guide

transferase

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.

  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

Any of various enzymes that catalyze the transfer of a functional group, such as amine or phosphate from one molecule to another.

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 of various enzymes that move a chemical group from one compound to another compound

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: enzyme

Narrower terms: ribonuclease, ribonucleinase, RNase, transaminase, aminotransferase, aminopherase

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *terh2-der. Proto-Indo-European *térh2t Proto-Indo-European *-ónts Proto-Indo-European *tr̥h2ónts Proto-Indo-European *tr̥h2n̥ts Proto-Italic *trāns Proto-Italic *trāns- Latin trāns- Proto-Indo-European *bher- Proto-Indo-European *bhéreti Proto-Italic *ferō Latin ferō Latin trānsferōder. English transfer 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 transferase From transfer + -ase.

Across languages

Translations

10 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: трансфераза (transferaza) — enzyme which catalyses the transfer of a functional group
  • Catalan: transferasa — enzyme which catalyses the transfer of a functional group
  • Finnish: transferaasi — enzyme which catalyses the transfer of a functional group
  • French: transférase — enzyme which catalyses the transfer of a functional group
  • German: Transferase — enzyme which catalyses the transfer of a functional group
  • Greek: τρανσφεράση (transferási) — enzyme which catalyses the transfer of a functional group
  • Italian: transferasi — enzyme which catalyses the transfer of a functional group
  • Polish: transferaza — enzyme which catalyses the transfer of a functional group
  • Spanish: transferasa — enzyme which catalyses the transfer of a functional group
  • Vietnamese: transferaza — enzyme which catalyses the transfer of a functional group