ferment

American  

[fur-ment, fer-ment] / ˈfɜr mɛnt, fərˈmɛnt /

noun

1. Also called organized ferment.  any of a group of living organisms, as yeasts, molds, and certain bacteria, that cause fermentation.

2. Also called unorganized ferment.  an enzyme.

3. fermentation.

4. agitation; unrest; excitement; commotion; tumult.

   The new painters worked in a creative ferment.

   The capital lived in a political ferment.

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verb (used with object)

1. to act upon as a ferment.

2. to cause to undergo fermentation.

3. to inflame; foment.

   to ferment prejudiced crowds to riot.

4. to cause agitation or excitement in.

   Reading fermented his active imagination.

verb (used without object)

1. to be fermented; undergo fermentation.

2. to seethe with agitation or excitement.

ferment British  

noun

1. any agent or substance, such as a bacterium, mould, yeast, or enzyme, that causes fermentation

2. another word for fermentation

3. commotion; unrest

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verb

1. to undergo or cause to undergo fermentation

2. to stir up or seethe with excitement

Other Word Forms

• fermentability noun
• fermentable adjective
• fermenter noun
• nonfermentability noun
• nonfermentable adjective
• nonfermented adjective
• nonfermenting adjective
• unfermentable adjective
• unfermented adjective
• unfermenting adjective
• well-fermented adjective

Etymology

Origin of ferment

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin fermentum “yeast” (noun), fermentāre “to cause to rise” (verb), equivalent to fer(vēre) “to boil” + -mentum -ment ( def. ); fervent

Example Sentences

Overall, the evidence does not support the idea that full-fat dairy causes dementia, nor that fermented milk products reliably protect against it.

From Science Daily

Its bananas-and-caviar service is a case in point: fried bananas layered with horseradish cream and topped with two ounces of ossetra caviar, served alongside plantain waffles and a fermented banana-peel butter.

From Salon

Depending on your mood, you might continue with Royal Red shrimp served raw with dots of fermented Scotch bonnet pepper and a dusting of spiced red hibiscus flower.

From The Wall Street Journal

In Friuli-Venezia Giulia, for example, Slavic and Austro-Hungarian influences show up in smoked meats, dumplings, and fermented flavors.

From Salon

The familiar chewy texture and tangy flavor of sourdough come from a complex mix of microorganisms that ferment the dough.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• commotion
• disquiet
• excitement
• frenzy
• restlessness
• tumult
• turbulence
• unrest
• upheaval
• uproar