Amylase
//ˈæmɪleɪs// noun
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Any of a class of digestive enzymes, present in saliva and also contributed to the gut by the exocrine pancreas, that break down complex carbohydrates such as starch into simpler sugars such as glucose. countable, uncountable
"egg yolk amylase"
- 2 any of a group of proteins found in saliva and pancreatic juice and parts of plants; help convert starch to sugar wordnet
Example
More examples"Egg yolks contain a starch-digesting enzyme, amylase, that is remarkably resistant to heat. Unless a starch-egg mix is brought to a full boil, the yolk amylase will survive, digest the starch, and turn the stiff cream into a pourable one."
Etymology
From amyl- + -ase.
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.