emulsify
4 synonyms and 4 antonyms for emulsify, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Verb — To combine two liquids that do not normally mix, such as oil and water, into a smooth, stable mixture by breaking one into tiny droplets suspended in the other.
Synonyms
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
whisk together
homogenise
Antonyms
How to use emulsify
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
emulsify the dressing
emulsify the butter into the sauce
fully emulsified
emulsify fats
Etymology
From 'emulsion', from Latin 'emulgere' (to milk out), from 'e-' (out) plus 'mulgere' (to milk), plus the suffix '-ify'.
Full origin of emulsify →Frequently asked questions
What does it mean when a sauce breaks?
It means the emulsion has failed and the fat has separated back out, leaving an oily, grainy mixture. It usually happens when the oil is added too fast or the sauce gets too hot; whisking a spoonful of the broken sauce into a fresh egg yolk or a little warm water often brings it back.
What is an emulsifier?
It is a substance whose molecules attract water at one end and fat at the other, so it sits at the boundary between the two and holds the droplets apart. Egg yolk, mustard and lecithin do this job in cooking, and manufactured versions appear on ingredient lists in processed food.
What is the difference between emulsify and dissolve?
Dissolving breaks a substance down to individual molecules that spread evenly and permanently, as sugar does in water. Emulsifying only disperses one liquid as tiny droplets in another; the droplets stay separate and will eventually merge again unless something stabilises them.
