Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “nuclease” come from?

Nuclease derives from English nucleus combined with the suffix -ase, where nucleus comes from Ancient Greek διάστασις, διά, δισα, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots ken-, steh₂-, and dwóh₁.

nuclease (English): Any of several enzymes capable of cleaving the...

Definitions

  1. Any of several enzymes capable of cleaving the...

Ancestry of “nuclease”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishnucleo-Forming words pertaining to nuclei
2Latinnū̆cleus—
3Latinnuculeapertaining to a small nut
4Latin-eusargentum + API → argenteus; ferrum + API →...
5Ancient Greek-εῖοςForms adjectives, usually with a meaning of "of"...
6Proto-Indo-European-iHwós—
7Proto-Indo-European-wósCreates adjectives from verb stems

Words derived from “nuclease”

  • meganuclease
  • nucleasic
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -wós →