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Definition of "esterase" [esterase]

  • Any of various enzymes that catalyze the hydrolysis of an ester. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "esterase" in a sentence
  • "If the first possibility were to apply, then we must not find the Ac.Ch. at all, since, as has been shown, esterase is found everywhere in the nerves and this, as we shall soon see, destroys the free Ac.Ch. But we do find it in the nerve."
  • "It has been proved that when the breaking up of the Ac.Ch. by an esterase, is inhibited by eserine, the Ac.Ch. penetrates with the blood to other organs in sufficient quantities to cause activity."
  • "Current treatment involves the use of drugs such as donepezil, tacrine, rivastigmine, galanlamine etc which act as choline esterase inhibitors."