What does hydrolyze mean?
To hydrolyze is to break down a substance through a chemical reaction involving water. In the strict chemical sense, hydrolysis occurs when water supplies part of a molecule and causes a bond to break, often producing two or more smaller compounds. For example, enzymes hydrolyze starch into sugars that can be digested and absorbed, while acids or bases can hydrolyze proteins into simpler substances. The process is especially important in digestion, food chemistry, molecular biology, and industrial production. Although the word is technical, it is also useful for describing ordinary ways in which materials decay or separate. It is related in form to the noun "hydrolysis," which names the reaction itself. The spelling is generally "hydrolyze" in American English and "hydrolyse" in British English.
verbTo break a substance down into simpler components by chemical reaction with water. The process is called hydrolysis and often involves cleavage of a bond in a molecule.
- To undergo chemical decomposition through reaction with water, especially by breaking a covalent bond.
- To split a molecular compound into smaller compounds by adding water.
"Enzymes hydrolyze starch into smaller carbohydrates that the body can absorb."
"The bacterium produces an enzyme that hydrolyzes lactose into glucose and galactose."
"Highly acidic conditions can hydrolyze proteins into their constituent amino acids."
From Greek words meaning "water" and "loosening," hydrolysis is the water-driven拆拆 that turns complex molecules into simpler ones.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does hydrolyze come from?
The word was formed in the 19th century from the combining form "hydro-", meaning water, and "-lyze", derived from Greek lysis, meaning a loosening or dissolution. The related noun "hydrolysis" was likewise coined in scientific usage to name a reaction in which water causes the cleavage of a chemical bond. The suffix also appears in terms such as "hydrolase," an enzyme that promotes hydrolysis.
Related word forms
How hydrolyze is actually used
The verb is formal and chiefly scientific or technical. American English normally spells it "hydrolyze"; British English commonly uses "hydrolyse."
Easily confused with hydrolyze
Hydrolysis is the noun naming the chemical process, whereas "hydrolyze" is the verb describing the process's action on a substance.
"Hydrolyse" is the usual British spelling of the verb, while "hydrolyze" is the standard American spelling.