ferment
pronunciation
How to pronounce ferment in British English:
UK [fəˈment]
How to pronounce ferment in American English:
US [fərˈment]
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- Noun:
- a state of agitation or turbulent change or development
- a substance capable of bringing about fermentation
- a process in which an agent causes an organic substance to break down into simpler substances; especially, the anaerobic breakdown of sugar into alcohol
- a chemical phenomenon in which an organic molecule splits into simpler substances
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- Verb:
- be in an agitated or excited state
- work up into agitation or excitement
- cause to undergo fermentation
- go sour or spoil
Word Origin
- ferment
- ferment: see fervent
- ferment (v.)
- late 14c. (intransitive), from Old French fermenter (13c.) and directly from Latin fermentare "to leaven, cause to rise or ferment," from fermentum "substance causing fermentation, leaven, drink made of fermented barley," perhaps contracted from *fervimentum, from root of fervere "to boil, seethe" (see brew (v.)). Transitive use from 1670s. Figurative use from 1650s. Related: Fermented; fermenting.
- ferment (n.)
- early 15c., from Middle French ferment (14c.), from Latin fermentum "leaven, yeast; drink made of fermented barley;" figuratively "anger, passion" (see ferment (v.)). Figurative sense of "anger, passion, commotion" in English is from 1670s.
Example
- 1. Rack after a month and allow to ferment out .
- 2. Oil and gas add fuel to the ferment .
- 3. The radicalized young saudi , a mediocre engineering student with plenty of money , reached adulthood when the islamic world was in political ferment .
- 4. In the ferment that was the 1980s this was a very powerful piece of programming .
- 5. Censorship cannot eliminate dissent it will only ferment further discontent , as coercion would eventually lead to rebellion .