denature
/diˈneɪ̯.t͡ʃəɹ/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: 1.79 in modern English
9
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
3
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
verb
To take away a natural characteristic or inherent property of (a thing or a person).
Transitive verb
verb
To add something to (alcohol) that makes it unsuitable for consumption but leaves it suitable for most other purposes.
Transitive verb
verb
To alter its original form or state, especially of a protein, by heat, acidity etc.
Intransitive verb; Transitive verb
verb
Of double-stranded DNA, specifically to split into two single strands.
Intransitive verb; Transitive verb
verb
To combine fissile material with nonfissile material in order to prevent its use in an atomic weapon.
Transitive verb
Example Sentences
- "While you cannot drink denatured alcohol, you can still use it to remove sticker glue from most surfaces."
- "Sugars are wonderfully robust materials! Unlike proteins that easily denature and coagulate, unlike fats that are damaged by air and heat and go rancid, unlike starch chains that break apart into smaller chains of glucose molecules, sugars themselves are small and stable molecules."
- "Because the activity of an enzyme depends on its structure, any change in that structure will destroy its effectiveness. So cooking foods sufficiently will denature and inactivate any enzymes they may contain."
Etymology
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /diˈneɪ̯.t͡ʃəɹ/
- British English: /diːˈneɪtjə(ɹ)/