denaturation

[ dee-ney-chuh-rey-shuhn ]

noun

1. the act or process of rendering an alcohol unfit for drinking by adding an unwholesome substance that does not alter its usefulness for other purposes:

   New legislation made the denaturation of industrial alcohol compulsory.

2. Biochemistry. the act or process of altering the original state of a protein or the like through chemical or physical means:

   Acid and heat both cause a denaturation of protein, breaking bonds in the protein’s secondary and tertiary structure.

3. the act or process of depriving something of its natural character or properties:

   Totalitarianism emerges from the denaturation of religion and politics.

Word History and Origins

Origin of denaturation¹

denatur(e) ( def ) + -ation ( def )

Example Sentences

There was therefore not only a denaturation, but an enervation of our poetry.

From Project Gutenberg

Formolization of the antigens was necessary as a means of preventing denaturation of the proteins by enzymatic activity.

From Project Gutenberg