'lipase' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'lipos' where the root 'lip-' meant 'fat', combined with the chemical/enzymatic suffix '-ase' coined in the late 19th century.

'lipase' was coined in modern scientific usage by combining Greek 'lipos' (fat) with the suffix '-ase' (modeled on names like 'diastase'), and entered biochemical vocabulary in the late 19th to early 20th century.

Initially coined to name enzymes that break down fats, the term has retained that core meaning while extending to name multiple specific enzymes and isoforms (e.g., pancreatic lipase, lipoprotein lipase).