'tyrosinase-activating' originates from modern scientific English, formed by combining 'tyrosinase' (the enzyme name) and the present-participial adjective 'activating' from 'activate'.

'tyrosinase' itself was coined by combining 'tyrosine' (the amino acid) with the enzyme-forming suffix '-ase'; 'tyrosine' comes from Greek 'tyros' meaning 'cheese' (where the residue was first isolated). 'Activate' comes from Latin via Medieval/Modern Latin 'activare' (from 'activus' meaning 'active'). These elements were joined in modern biochemical nomenclature to form compounds like 'tyrosinase-activating'.

Initially the parts referred separately to the substrate/enzyme name and the action 'to make active'; together in modern usage they mean 'causing activation of tyrosinase' with no major shift from those component meanings.