Lecithinase
/ˌlɛsɪˈθɪn.eɪz/noun
An enzyme that hydrolyzes lecithin, especially by cleaving one of its ester bonds.
Did you know?The root comes from Ancient Greek λέκιθος (lékithos), meaning “egg yolk,” because lecithin was first isolated from egg yolk in the nineteenth century.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
λέκιθος (lékithos)
“Egg yolk”
19th Century
German
Lecithin
“A phospholipid first associated with egg yolk; coined from Greek lékithos”
Late 19th Century
International scientific English
-ase
“A suffix used to name enzymes, modeled on terms such as diastase”
Late 19th–Early 20th Century
Scientific English
lecithinase
“An enzyme acting on lecithin”
Modern English
English
lecithinase
“An enzyme that breaks down lecithin”