fermentation
English
Etymology
From Middle English fermentacioun, from Latin fermentātiō, fermentātiōnem.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˌfɜː(ɹ)mənˈteɪʃən/, /ˌfɜː(ɹ)mɛnˈteɪʃən/
Audio (UK) (file)
- Rhymes: -eɪʃən
Noun
fermentation (countable and uncountable, plural fermentations)
- (biochemistry) Any of many anaerobic biochemical reactions in which an enzyme (or several enzymes produced by a microorganism) catalyses the conversion of one substance into another; especially the conversion (using yeast) of sugars to alcohol or acetic acid with the evolution of carbon dioxide
- A state of agitation or excitement; a ferment.
- 1678, Jeremy Taylor, “The History of the Life and Death of the Holy Jesus: […]. The First Part.”, in Antiquitates Christianæ: Or, the History of the Life and Death of the Holy Jesus: […], London: […] E. Flesher, and R. Norton, for R[ichard] Royston, […], OCLC 1179639832, ad section IX (Considerations upon the Baptizing, Fasting, and Temptation of the Holy Jesus by the Devil), discourse IV (Of Baptism), part II (Of Baptizing Infants), page 130:
- [T]he Grace that is then given to us is like a piece of Leven put into a lump of dough, and Faith and Repentance do in all the periods of our life put it into fermentation and activity.
- 1852 January – 1853 April, Charles Kingsley, Jun., “Preface”, in Hypatia: Or, New Foes with an Old Face. […], volume I, London: John W[illiam] Parker and Son, […], published 1853, OCLC 1932017, pages xi–xii:
- The universal fusion of races, languages, and customs, which had gone on for four centuries under Roman rule, had produced a corresponding fusion of creeds, an universal fermentation of human thought and faith.
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Derived terms
- alcoholic fermentation
- bottom fermentation
- fermentational
- fermentation lock
- gut fermentation syndrome
- homolactic fermentation
- malolactic fermentation
- overfermentation
- photofermentation
- refermentation
- secondary fermentation
- semifermentation
- top fermentation
- underfermentation
Related terms
- ferment
Translations
anaerobic biochemical reaction
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state of agitation or excitement
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Anagrams
- infantometer
French
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin fermentātiō, fermentātiōnem.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /fɛʁ.mɑ̃.ta.sjɔ̃/
Audio (file)
Noun
fermentation f (plural fermentations)
- fermentation
Derived terms
- fermentation homolactique
Related terms
- fermenter
Descendants
- → Romanian: fermentație
- → Turkish: fermantasyon
Further reading
- “fermentation”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.