butyrylcholinesterase
noun
bu·tyr·yl·cho·lin·es·ter·ase
ˌbyü-tə-rəl-ˌkō-lə-ˈne-stə-ˌrās 
-ˌrāz
: an enzyme related to acetylcholinesterase that has a soluble form occurring chiefly in blood plasma and promoting the hydrolysis of choline esters
called also cholinesterase, pseudocholinesterase
Examples of butyrylcholinesterase in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Carmel Harrington, a sleep medicine specialist at Children’s Hospital in Westmead, Australia, tested for levels of the enzyme butyrylcholinesterase in the blood.
—
Dan Hurley, Washington Post, 23 May 2022
But the study was small, and the finding on low butyrylcholinesterase levels in SIDS was the first time such an observation has been made.
—Dan Hurley, Washington Post, 23 May 2022
The researchers who worked on the study also believe the levels of butyrylcholinesterase eventually stabilize, which could explain why there is a peak of SIDS in the very early months of life.
—Annalisa Merelli, Quartz, 18 May 2022
On average, those who died from SIDS had somewhat less butyrylcholinesterase activity in their blood than healthy newborns did.
—Benjamin Mazer, The Atlantic, 17 May 2022
For their study, published May 6 in the journal eBioMedicine, the researchers measured levels of an enzyme called butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) in blood samples from 67 newborns who died of SIDS and other unknown causes between 2016 and 2020.
—Katherine Dillinger and Jen Christensen, CNN, 13 May 2022
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Dan Hurley, Washington Post, 23 May 2022
But the study was small, and the finding on low butyrylcholinesterase levels in SIDS was the first time such an observation has been made.
—Dan Hurley, Washington Post, 23 May 2022
The researchers who worked on the study also believe the levels of butyrylcholinesterase eventually stabilize, which could explain why there is a peak of SIDS in the very early months of life.
—Annalisa Merelli, Quartz, 18 May 2022
On average, those who died from SIDS had somewhat less butyrylcholinesterase activity in their blood than healthy newborns did.
—Benjamin Mazer, The Atlantic, 17 May 2022
For their study, published May 6 in the journal eBioMedicine, the researchers measured levels of an enzyme called butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) in blood samples from 67 newborns who died of SIDS and other unknown causes between 2016 and 2020.
—Katherine Dillinger and Jen Christensen, CNN, 13 May 2022
Cite this Entry
“Butyrylcholinesterase.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/butyrylcholinesterase. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.
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butyrylcholinesterase
noun
bu·tyr·yl·cho·lin·es·ter·ase
ˌbyüt-ə-rəl-ˌkō-lə-ˈnes-tə-ˌrās, -ˌrāz
: an enzyme related to acetylcholinesterase that has a soluble form occurring chiefly in blood plasma and promoting the hydrolysis of choline esters
called also cholinesterase, pseudocholinesterase
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