Main Entry: pa·pa·in

Pronunciation: \pə-ˈpā-ən, -ˈpī-ən\

Function: noun

Etymology: International Scientific Vocabulary, from papaya

Date: circa 1889

: a protease in the juice of unripe papaya that is used especially as a tenderizer for meat and in medicine (as in the topical debridement of necrotic tissue)