esterify

American

[e-ster-uh-fahy] / ɛˈstɛr əˌfaɪ /

verb (used with or without object)

Chemistry.

esterified, esterifying

to convert into an ester.

esterify British

/ ɛˈstɛrəˌfaɪ /

verb

chem to change or cause to change into an ester

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of esterify

First recorded in 1900–05; ester + -ify

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.

Experiments showed that the second acid was much more difficult to esterify than the first, pointing to the conclusion that Claus’ formula for benzene was more probable than Kekul�’s.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 1 "Châtelet" to "Chicago" by Various

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023