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phos·pho·di·es·ter·ase

(fŏs′fō-dī-ĕstə-rās′, -rāz′)

Any of a class of enzymes that catalyze the hydrolytic cleavage of phosphodiester bonds and are important in breaking down cyclic AMP, cyclic GMP, and nucleic acids.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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