n.
Any of various proteolytic enzymes found in animal tissue that catalyze the hydrolysis of proteins into polypeptides.
[German Kathepsin, from Greek kathepsein, to digest : kat-, kata-, cata- + hepsein, to boil.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
