enzyme
n.n. a special protein in living things that helps speed up chemical reactions. For example, the enzymes in your stomach work to break down the food you eat.
n. a protein that functions as a biological catalyst, accelerating a specific biochemical reaction without being consumed in the process. Noun, countable; a technical term in biology and chemistry.
Digestive enzymes help our bodies process food.
Her lactose intolerance is caused by a lack of the enzyme needed to digest milk sugar.
Genetic engineering can alter an organism's ability to produce certain enzymes, with major implications for medicine and industry.
From German Enzym, coined 1878 by the German physiologist Wilhelm Kühne from Ancient Greek ἐν (en, “in”) + ζύμη (zúmē, “leaven”). By surface analysis, en- + zyme.