/ English Dictionary |
FERMENTING
Pronunciation (US): | (GB): |
I. (noun)
Sense 1
Meaning:
A process in which an agent causes an organic substance to break down into simpler substances; especially, the anaerobic breakdown of sugar into alcohol
Synonyms:
ferment; fermentation; fermenting; zymolysis; zymosis
Classified under:
Nouns denoting natural processes
Hypernyms ("fermenting" is a kind of...):
chemical action; chemical change; chemical process ((chemistry) any process determined by the atomic and molecular composition and structure of the substances involved)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "fermenting"):
bottom fermentation (a slow kind of alcoholic fermentation at a temperature low enough that the yeast cells can sink to the bottom of the fermenting liquid; used in the production of lager)
top fermentation (a violent kind of alcoholic fermentation at a temperature high enough to carry the yeast cells to the top of the fermenting liquid; used in the production of ale)
vinification (the process whereby fermentation changes grape juice into wine)
Derivation:
ferment (cause to undergo fermentation)
II. (verb)
Sense 1
-ing form of the verb ferment