English Explanatory Dictionary

ferment

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb
  1. To react, using fermentation; especially to produce alcohol by aging or by allowing yeast to act on sugars; to brew.
  2. To stir up, agitate, cause unrest or excitement in.
noun
  1. Something, such as a yeast or barm, that causes fermentation.
  2. A state of agitation or of turbulent change.
  3. A gentle internal motion of the constituent parts of a fluid; fermentation.
  4. A catalyst.

Pronunciation

/fəˈmɛnt/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-ferment.wav /fɚˈmɛnt/ /ˈfɜː.mɛnt/ /ˈfɚ.mɛnt/

Word forms

ferment ferments fermenting fermented

Etymology

From Middle English ferment, from Middle French ferment, from Latin fermentāre (“to leaven, ferment”), from fermentum (“substance causing fermentation”), possibly from contraction of *fervimentum, from fervēre. See also fervent.

Synonyms

yeast

Related words

foment

Derived words

apoferment coferment fermentability fermentable fermental fermentarian fermentate fermentative fermenter fermentic fermentome fermentor lactoferment nonfermenting overferment preferment referment re-ferment underferment unfermenting
This entry uses open data from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA/GFDL). Word forms are used for search and are not indexed as separate pages.
Back to search All on F Russian dictionary Dahl dictionary