fermenting

fer·ment

F0081900 (fûr′mĕnt′)n.1. a. An agent, such as an enzyme, bacterium, or fungus, that brings about fermentation.b. Fermentation.2. a. A state of agitation or of turbulent change or development.b. An agent that precipitates or is capable of precipitating such a state; a catalyst.v. (fər-mĕnt′) fer·ment·ed, fer·ment·ing, fer·ments v.intr.1. To undergo fermentation: cabbage that has fermented.2. To develop in a turbulent or agitated way; seethe: an idea that was fermenting in his mind for months.v.tr.1. To cause to undergo fermentation: Yeasts ferment sugars.2. To produce by or as if by fermentation: ferment the wine in oak barrels; hostility that was fermented by envy.3. To make turbulent; excite or agitate: a fiery speech that fermented the crowd.

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[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin fermentum; see bhreu- in Indo-European roots.]

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fer·ment′a·bil′i·ty n.fer·ment′a·ble adj.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

fermenting - a process in which an agent causes an organic substance to break down into simpler substances; especially, the anaerobic breakdown of sugar into alcoholzymolysis, zymosis, fermentation, fermentbottom fermentation - a slow kind of alcoholic fermentation at a temperature low enough that the yeast cells can sink to the bottom of the fermenting liquid; used in the production of lagerchemical action, chemical change, chemical process - (chemistry) any process determined by the atomic and molecular composition and structure of the substances involvedtop fermentation - a violent kind of alcoholic fermentation at a temperature high enough to carry the yeast cells to the top of the fermenting liquid; used in the production of ale; "top fermentation uses a yeast that ferments at higher temperatures than that used for bottom fermentation"vinification - the process whereby fermentation changes grape juice into wine