denature
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to render (any of various alcohols) unfit for drinking by adding an unwholesome substance that does not alter usefulness for other purposes.
-
Biochemistry. to treat (a protein or the like) by chemical or physical means so as to alter its original state.
-
to make (fissionable material) unsuitable for use in an atomic weapon by mixing it with unfissionable material.
-
to deprive (something) of its natural character, properties, etc.
verb
-
to change the nature of
-
to change (a protein) by chemical or physical means, such as the action of acid or heat, to cause loss of solubility, biological activity, etc
-
to render (something, such as ethanol) unfit for consumption by adding nauseous substances
-
to render (fissile material) unfit for use in nuclear weapons by addition of an isotope
-
To cause the tertiary structure of a protein to unfold, as with heat, alkali, or acid, so that some of its original properties, especially its biological activity, are diminished or eliminated.
-
To cause the paired strands of DNA to separate into individual strands.
Other Word Forms
- denaturant noun
- denaturation noun
Etymology
Origin of denature
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
This property depends heavily on both the amount of protein in the beer and how these proteins denature.
From Science Daily
It is thought that acids in the stomach denature the virus, said Michael Imperiale, a microbiologist and immunologist at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.
From Los Angeles Times
However, when further testing was conducted — virus isolation — they were able to show it was inactivated virus that had been denatured by heat.
From Los Angeles Times
Now that most of the paint is gone, spray the chair with denatured alcohol and scrub with more steel wool to clean off any residue.
From Seattle Times
To manufacture the sponge, Mohammad Peydayesh, a senior scientist in Mezzenga's Group, and his colleagues denatured whey proteins under acidic conditions and high temperatures, so that they aggregated into protein nanofibrils in a gel.
From Science Daily
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
