: an enzyme that hydrolyzes beta-galactosides (such as lactose) and occurs especially in the intestines of young mammals and in yeasts
Examples of lactase in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The infection damages the gut lining, leading to a lack of lactase, the enzyme that breaks down lactose.
—
Adrianna Rodriguez, USA TODAY, 7 Jan. 2025
Normally digested by the body with an enzyme called ‘lactase’, this sugar breaks down into lactic acid to feed the healthy bacteria in our intestinal microbiota.
—Marie Bladt, Vogue, 24 Dec. 2024
Trouble with lactose intolerance tends to begin in adulthood, when our bodies gradually makes less lactase, an enzyme that breaks down lactose.
—Caroline Hopkins Legaspi, New York Times, 24 Dec. 2024
Proponents argue that raw milk produces its own lactase thanks to beneficial bacteria, or probiotics.
—Jeffrey Kluger, TIME, 20 Dec. 2024
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Adrianna Rodriguez, USA TODAY, 7 Jan. 2025
Normally digested by the body with an enzyme called ‘lactase’, this sugar breaks down into lactic acid to feed the healthy bacteria in our intestinal microbiota.
—Marie Bladt, Vogue, 24 Dec. 2024
Trouble with lactose intolerance tends to begin in adulthood, when our bodies gradually makes less lactase, an enzyme that breaks down lactose.
—Caroline Hopkins Legaspi, New York Times, 24 Dec. 2024
Proponents argue that raw milk produces its own lactase thanks to beneficial bacteria, or probiotics.
—Jeffrey Kluger, TIME, 20 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for lactase
Dictionary Entries Near lactase
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“Lactase.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lactase. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
lactase
noun
lac·tase
ˈlak-ˌtās 
: an enzyme that breaks down lactose and related compounds and occurs especially in the intestines of young mammals and in yeasts
Medical Definition
lactase
noun
lac·tase
ˈlak-ˌtās, -ˌtāz
: an enzyme that hydrolyzes especially lactose to glucose and galactose and occurs especially in the intestines of young mammals and in yeasts
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