saponify
[ suh-pon-uh-fahy ]
/ səˈpɒn əˌfaɪ /
|
verb (used with object), sa·pon·i·fied, sa·pon·i·fy·ing.
to convert (a fat) into soap by treating with an alkali.
to decompose (any ester), forming the corresponding alcohol and acid or salt.
verb (used without object), sa·pon·i·fied, sa·pon·i·fy·ing.
to become converted into soap.
Nearby words
sapodilla family, saponaceous, saponaria, saponification, saponification number, saponify, saponin, saponite, sapor, saporific, saporosity
Related forms
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for saponify
British Dictionary definitions for saponify
saponify
/ (səˈpɒnɪˌfaɪ) /
verb -fies, -fying or -fied chem
to undergo or cause to undergo a process in which a fat is converted into a soap by treatment with alkali
to undergo or cause to undergo a reaction in which an ester is hydrolysed to an acid and an alcohol as a result of treatment with an alkali
Derived Formssaponifiable, adjectivesaponifier, nounsaponification, noun
Word Origin for saponify
C19: from French saponifier, from Latin sāpō soap
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
Word Origin and History for saponify
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Medicine definitions for saponify
saponify
[ sə-pŏn′ə-fī′ ]
v.
To undergo saponification.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.