-thə̇ˌnās, -āz noun
( -s )
Etymology: International Scientific Vocabulary lecithin + -ase
: any of four enzymes that hydrolyze lecithins or cephalins by attacking different ester linkages: as
a. : a crystallizable enzyme that is found especially in many venoms and that accelerates the removal of only one of the two fatty acid units in a molecule — called also lecithinase A, phospholipase A ; compare lysolecithin
b. : an enzyme that is found in various plant and animal extracts and in bacteria and that accelerates the removal of the remaining fatty acid unit — called also lecithinase B, phospholipase B