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saponify

American  
[suh-pon-uh-fahy] / səˈpɒn əˌfaɪ /

verb (used with object)

saponified, saponifying
  1. to convert (a fat) into soap by treating with an alkali.

  2. to decompose (any ester), forming the corresponding alcohol and acid or salt.


verb (used without object)

saponified, saponifying
  1. to become converted into soap.

saponify British  
/ səˈpɒnɪˌfaɪ /

verb

  1. to undergo or cause to undergo a process in which a fat is converted into a soap by treatment with alkali

  2. 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

"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 saponify

1815–25; < Latin sāpōn- (stem of sāpō ) soap + -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.

See Examples For:

The quantity of potassic hydrate required to saponify one gramme or 15 grains of pure beeswax varies from 97 to 107 milligrammes.

From Scientific American Supplement, No. 443, June 28, 1884 by Various

When just enough alkali is used to completely saponify the amount of fat, the product is called a neutral, or mild, soap.

From Ontario Teachers' Manuals: Household Management by Ontario. Ministry of Education

It is used for cleansing the hair, for which purpose a handful is put to soak in a basin of water overnight, and the next morning it will saponify when rubbed between the hands.

From The Philippine Islands by John Foreman

This oil closely resembles cocoa-nut and palm-nut oils and is stated to saponify readily and yield a soap free from odour.

From The Handbook of Soap Manufacture by W. H. Simmons

B., depending upon the amount of moisture desired in the finished soaps, plus a slight excess required to saponify a known weight of cocoanut oil.

From Soap-Making Manual A Practical Handbook on the Raw Materials, Their Manipulation, Analysis and Control in the Modern Soap Plant. by E. G. Thomssen

This is saponified, and when the saponification is complete, "boiling-on-strength" is proceeded with.

From The Handbook of Soap Manufacture by W. H. Simmons

To carry out the process the previously heated oil or fat to be saponified is run into a lead lined tank.

From Soap-Making Manual A Practical Handbook on the Raw Materials, Their Manipulation, Analysis and Control in the Modern Soap Plant. by E. G. Thomssen

The tallow and grease are first saponified as usual, then the cocoanut oil is pumped and saponified.

From Soap-Making Manual A Practical Handbook on the Raw Materials, Their Manipulation, Analysis and Control in the Modern Soap Plant. by E. G. Thomssen

The "saponification equivalent" is the amount of fat or oil in grammes saponified by 1 equivalent or 56.1 grammes of caustic potash.

From The Handbook of Soap Manufacture by W. H. Simmons

The intermediate layer is difficult to treat satisfactorily; it is generally washed twice with water, the washings being added to glycerine water, and the fatty mixture saponified and the resultant soap utilised.

From The Handbook of Soap Manufacture by W. H. Simmons

On the other hand, if we use a mineral acid as the saponifying agent, we obtain the fatty acids themselves in addition to glycerine.

From Soap-Making Manual A Practical Handbook on the Raw Materials, Their Manipulation, Analysis and Control in the Modern Soap Plant. by E. G. Thomssen

He states that it is made by saponifying mutton fat with lime, and then separating the fatty acids from the soap thus formed, by means of a mineral acid.

From The Art of Perfumery And Methods of Obtaining the Odors of Plants by George William Septimus Piesse

In saponifying a freshly stocked kettle it is apt to bunch.

From Soap-Making Manual A Practical Handbook on the Raw Materials, Their Manipulation, Analysis and Control in the Modern Soap Plant. by E. G. Thomssen

The time consumed in thus saponifying rosin is about five hours.

From Soap-Making Manual A Practical Handbook on the Raw Materials, Their Manipulation, Analysis and Control in the Modern Soap Plant. by E. G. Thomssen

Thus, if we use caustic alkali as our saponifying agent for a fat or oil, we obtain the sodium or potassium salt of the higher fatty acids or soap and the alcohol, glycerine.

From Soap-Making Manual A Practical Handbook on the Raw Materials, Their Manipulation, Analysis and Control in the Modern Soap Plant. by E. G. Thomssen

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