papain

noun

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pa·pa·in | \ pə-ˈpā-ən

, -ˈpī-ən

Definition of papain

: 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)

Examples of papain in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web And the smaller events, in many cases, produced genes associated with being carnivorous — like the ones that make papain, an enzyme in meat tenderizer. — Joanna Klein, New York Times, "Genetic Tidying Up Made Humped Bladderworts Into Carnivorous Plants," 19 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'papain.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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“Papain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/papain. Accessed 10 May. 2021.

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More Definitions for papain

papain

noun

pa·pa·in | \ pə-ˈpā-ən

, -ˈpī-

Medical Definition of papain

: a crystallizable protease in the juice of the green fruit of the papaya obtained usually as a brownish powder and used chiefly as a tenderizer for meat and in medicine as a digestant and as a topical agent in the debridement of necrotic tissue