'catalase' originates from New Latin/modern biochemical naming, specifically formed from 'catalysis' + the enzyme suffix '-ase' where 'catalysis' comes from Greek 'katalysis' and the suffix '-ase' denotes an enzyme.

'catalysis' comes from Greek 'katalysis' (from 'kata-' meaning 'down, thoroughly' + 'lyein' meaning 'to loosen, dissolve'). In the late 19th to early 20th century chemists coined enzyme names by adding '-ase' to words describing the reaction or substrate, producing 'catalase' for the enzyme associated with catalysis of hydrogen peroxide decomposition.

Initially 'katalysis' referred to a process of loosening or dissolution; over time 'catalysis' came to mean the acceleration of a chemical reaction, and 'catalase' became the specific name for the enzyme that accelerates breakdown of hydrogen peroxide.