ferment

CEFRC1

/ˈfɜː.mɛnt/

verb · noun

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    verb

    To change food or drink through a natural chemical process.

  2. 02

    verb

    Extra detail

    Something, such as a yeast or barm, that causes fermentation.

Examples

  • As the food particles ferment, they produce methane.

  • The whole town was in a ferment.

At a glance

Sits at C1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
2
Citations
5
Synonyms
1

Deep Dive

verb

Extra meanings

  1. To stir up, agitate, cause unrest or excitement in.

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

noun

Extra meaning

  1. A state of agitation or of turbulent change.

More examples

In context

  • 14 November, 1770, Junius, letter to the Right Honourable Lord Mansfield The nation is in a ferment.

  • Yeast makes beer ferment.

  • Clad in a Persian-Renaissance gown and a widow's tiara of white batiste, Mrs Thoroughfare, in all the ferment of a Marriage-Christening, left her chamber on vapoury autumn day and descending a few stairs, and climbing a few others, knocked a trifle brusquely...

Synonyms

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

If you leave fruit juice out too long, it will begin to blank into alcohol.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

verb

From Middle English ferment, from Middle French ferment, from Latin fermentāre (“to leaven, ferment”), from fermentum (“substance causing fermentation”), possibly from contraction of *fervimentum, from fervēre. See also fervent.