denature
Americanverb (used with object)
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to render (any of various alcohols) unfit for drinking by adding an unwholesome substance that does not alter usefulness for other purposes.
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Biochemistry. to treat (a protein or the like) by chemical or physical means so as to alter its original state.
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to make (fissionable material) unsuitable for use in an atomic weapon by mixing it with unfissionable material.
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to deprive (something) of its natural character, properties, etc.
verb
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to change the nature of
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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
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to render (something, such as ethanol) unfit for consumption by adding nauseous substances
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to render (fissile material) unfit for use in nuclear weapons by addition of an isotope
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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.
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To cause the paired strands of DNA to separate into individual strands.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of denature
Explanation
In science, to denature something is to transform its basic qualities in a significant way. When you cook egg whites, you denature them, changing them from transparent and liquid to solid and white. Chemists frequently denature proteins, and cooking an egg white is one example of what that can look like. Another is the skin that forms on top of milk if you leave it out of the fridge for a while. Substances can be denatured by heat, acidity, and various chemicals. Adding nasty-tasting or poisonous ingredients to alcohol so it can't be consumed is another way to denature something. Figuratively, this word means "alter": "Taking away recess denatures the school experience!"
Vocabulary lists containing 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 • Nov. 29, 2025
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 • Dec. 10, 2024
At an internal body temperature of about 104, 105, something like that, your cell membranes actually begin to denature, like what an egg does when you put it in a frying pan.
From Slate • Jul. 12, 2023
“We need to take a step back and decide: Are we willing to denature nature for our toys and our various games we play with her?”
From Seattle Times • Oct. 31, 2022
Florence read her poem seven or eight times, the deepening pleasure of her expression being evidence that repetition failed to denature this work, but on the contrary, enhanced an appreciative surprise at its singular merit.
From Gentle Julia by Gilbert, C. Allan
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.
