Lipase
/ˈlaɪ.peɪs/noun
An enzyme that breaks down fats.
Did you know?Lipase comes from Greek lipos, meaning “fat,” plus the enzyme suffix -ase, a modern scientific ending that turned chemistry into a language of living power.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
λίπος (lipos)
“fat, grease”
Late 19th Century
French/Scientific Latin
lipase
“a fat-splitting enzyme”
Modern English
English
lipase
“an enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of fats”
Modern English
English
lipid
“a class of fats and fat-like substances”