noun
fermentation
fur-muhn-TAY-shuhn
noun
1
The chemical process by which yeast, bacteria, or enzymes convert sugars into alcohol, acid, or gas, usually without oxygen.
"Fermentation is what turns barley and hops into beer."
"Yoghurt is made through the fermentation of milk by live bacteria."
How to Use Fermentation
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe natural process behind bread, beer, wine, yoghurt, and pickles, where microbes break sugars down into something else.
Common pairings
alcoholic fermentation
the fermentation process
undergo fermentation
Word Forms
fermentations plural
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_____ is what turns barley and hops into beer.
Etymology
From Latin fermentatio, built on fermentum, "leaven" — the substance that makes dough or drink "work."