What does "zymurgy" mean?

Synonym of zymology (“the chemistry of fermentation with yeasts, especially the science involved in beermaking and winemaking”).

What is a synonym for "zymurgy"?

Common synonyms include: zymology, chemistry, zymology.

Pronounced //ˈzaɪˌmɜːd͡ʒi//.

//ˈzaɪˌmɜːd͡ʒi// noun

noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Noun

1
Synonym of zymology (“the chemistry of fermentation with yeasts, especially the science involved in beermaking and winemaking”). no-plural, uncountable, usually
"ZYMURGY. A name applied to that department of technological chemistry which treats of the scientific principles of wine-making, brewing, distilling, and the preparation of yeast and vinegar,—processes in which fermentation plays the principal part."
2
the branch of chemistry concerned with fermentation (as in making wine or brewing or distilling) wordnet
3
The practice of using fermentation to produce alcoholic beverages. no-plural, uncountable, usually
"Of Zymurgy I little know, / Perhaps because I little knead, / And can but make a sorry show / In singing liaisons of feed, / Flour, fodder,— […]"

"Have you ever heard of zymurgy?"

From zym- (prefix meaning ‘fermentation’) + -urgy (suffix denoting a technique for working with something), modelled after metallurgy.

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.