Lexic.us

Definition of Ferment

1. Noun. A state of agitation or turbulent change or development. "Social unrest"

2. Verb. Be in an agitated or excited state. "Her mind ferments"

3. Noun. A substance capable of bringing about fermentation.

4. Verb. Work up into agitation or excitement. "Islam is fermenting Africa"

5. Noun. A process in which an agent causes an organic substance to break down into simpler substances; especially, the anaerobic breakdown of sugar into alcohol.

6. Verb. Cause to undergo fermentation. "The vintner worked the wine in big oak vats"

7. Verb. Go sour or spoil. "The cream has turned--we have to throw it out"

Definition of Ferment

1. n. That which causes fermentation, as yeast, barm, or fermenting beer.

2. v. t. To cause ferment of fermentation in; to set in motion; to excite internal emotion in; to heat.

3. v. i. To undergo fermentation; to be in motion, or to be excited into sensible internal motion, as the constituent particles of an animal or vegetable fluid; to work; to effervesce.

Definition of Ferment

1. Verb. To react, using fermentation; especially to produce alcohol by aging or by allowing yeast to act on sugars; to brew. ¹

2. Verb. To stir up, agitate, cause unrest. ¹

3. Noun. Something, such as a yeast that causes fermentation. ¹

4. Noun. A state of agitation or of turbulent change. ¹

5. Noun. A catalyst. ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Definition of Ferment

1. to undergo a type of chemical reaction [v -ED, -ING, -S]

Medical Definition of Ferment

1. To cause ferment of fermentation in; to set in motion; to excite internal emotion in; to heat. "Ye vigorous swains! while youth ferments your blood." (Pope) Origin: L. Fermentare, fermentatum: cf. F. Fermenter. See Ferment. 1. That which causes fermentation, as yeast, barm, or fermenting beer. Ferments are of two kinds: (a) Formed or organised ferments. (b) Unorganised or structureless ferments. The latter are also called soluble or chemical ferments, and enzymes. Ferments of the first class are as a rule simple microscopic vegetable organisms, and the fermentations which they engender are due to their growth and development; as, the acetic ferment, the butyric ferment, etc. See Fermentation. Ferments of the second class, on the other hand, are chemical substances, as a rule soluble in glycerin and precipitated by alcohol. In action they are catalytic and, mainly, hydrolytic. Good examples are pepsin of the dastric juice, ptyalin of the salvia, and disease of malt. 2. Intestine motion; heat; tumult; agitation. "Subdue and cool the ferment of desire." (Rogers) "the nation is in a ferment." (Walpole) 3. A gentle internal motion of the constituent parts of a fluid; fermentation. "Down to the lowest lees the ferment ran." (Thomson) ferment oils, volatile oils produced by the fermentation of plants, and not originally contained in them. These were the quintessences of the alchenists. Origin: L. Fermentum ferment (in senses 1 & 2), perh. For fervimentum, fr. Fervere to be boiling hot, boil, ferment: cf. F. Ferment. Cf. 1st Barm, Fervent. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998)

Lexicographical Neighbors of Ferment

ferk ferklempt ferlie ferlied ferlier ferlies ferliest ferly ferlying ferm

fermacy fermata fermatas fermate ferme ferment (current term) fermentability fermentable fermental fermentation

fermentation Lactobacillus casei factor fermentation alcohol fermentation substrates fermentations fermentative fermentative dyspepsia fermentatively fermented fermenter fermenters

Literary usage of Ferment

Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:

1. Proceedings of the Cambridge Philosophical Society by Cambridge Philosophical Society (1895)
"(4) Note on the Liver ferment. By Miss MC TEBB. ... obtained from liver a ferment which converted glycogen to sugar, but the properties of this sugar were ..."

2. The American Journal of the Medical Sciences by Southern Society for Clinical Investigation (U.S.) (1911)
"The ferment action was therefore not wholly dependent upon the presence of ... The same ferment was demonstrated in the subcutaneous tissues and tissue ..."

3. A Text Book of Physiology by Michael Foster (1893)
"tion, the ferment is washed away from it, and the pure ferment-free fibrinogen. ... When fibrinogen is converted into fibrin by means of fibrin ferment, ..."

4. The Journal of Physiology by Physiological Society (Great Britain). (1889)
"Dr Halliburton says the white corpuscles liberate fibrin ferment when blood is shed, and he says his theory explains why the blood coagulates outside the ..."

5. A Dictionary of Arts, Manufactures, and Mines by Andrew Ure (1858)
"To prepare a pure ferment, or at least a compound rich in that principle, ... At the beginning of this change, particularly if the ferment be enclosed in a ..."

6. International Catalogue of Scientific Literature by Royal Society (Great Britain). (1907)
"Ueber das Verhalten verschiedener Polypeptide gegen Pankreas- ferment. ... Fokin, S. Ueber Pflanzen, die in ihrem Samen ein ferment enthalten, das die Fette ..."

7. Surgery, Gynecology & Obstetrics by The American College of Surgeons, Franklin H. Martin Memorial Foundation (1910)
"The ferment treatment of cold pus was previously known. ... Through the albumen dissolving ferment of immigrated and disintegrated leucocytes the albumen ..."

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