Main Entry: carbonic an·hy·drase

Pronunciation: \-an-ˈhī-ˌdrās, -ˌdrāz\

Function: noun

Etymology: anhydrous + -ase; from its promotion of dehydration

Date: 1932

: a zinc-containing enzyme that occurs in living tissues (as red blood cells) and aids carbon-dioxide transport from the tissues and its release from the blood in the lungs by catalyzing the reversible hydration of carbon dioxide to carbonic acid