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Ferment

//fəˈmɛnt// noun, verb

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    Something, such as a yeast or barm, that causes fermentation.
  2. 2
    a process in which an agent causes an organic substance to break down into simpler substances; especially, the anaerobic breakdown of sugar into alcohol wordnet
  3. 3
    A state of agitation or of turbulent change.

    "Subdue and cool the ferment of desire."

  4. 4
    a state of agitation or turbulent change or development wordnet
  5. 5
    A gentle internal motion of the constituent parts of a fluid; fermentation.

    "A Rage of Pleaſure madden'd every Breaſt, / Down to the loweſt Lees the Ferment ran: [...]"

Show 2 more definitions
  1. 6
    a substance capable of bringing about fermentation wordnet
  2. 7
    A catalyst.
Verb
  1. 1
    To react, using fermentation; especially to produce alcohol by aging or by allowing yeast to act on sugars; to brew.

    "The cleanup job would turn out to be possibly second only to body-recovery duty in terms of being a job that nobody wanted to get assigned to. Imagine, for a moment, a thick soup of oil, paper, ink, clothing, raw meat and other fresh provisions, and worse, that had all been left to collect together in semi-warm water, all enclosed in a large metal container that had then been subjected to heating by first fire and then repeated warm Hawaiian days, and then left to ferment for over a month, and then with most of the water drained away and all the remaining solid and semi-liquid mass collecting together in pools and heaps across multiple decks, still in a relatively-enclosed environment."

  2. 2
    go sour or spoil wordnet
  3. 3
    To stir up, agitate, cause unrest or excitement in.

    "Ye vigorous swains! while youth ferments your blood."

  4. 4
    cause to undergo fermentation wordnet
  5. 5
    work up into agitation or excitement wordnet
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  1. 6
    be in an agitated or excited state wordnet

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English ferment, from Middle French ferment, from Latin fermentāre (“to leaven, ferment”), from fermentum (“substance causing fermentation”), from fervēre (“to boil, seethe”). See also fervent.

Etymology 2

From Middle English ferment, from Middle French ferment, from Latin fermentāre (“to leaven, ferment”), from fermentum (“substance causing fermentation”), from fervēre (“to boil, seethe”). See also fervent.

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