hydrolysis Hear it!

hydrolysis definition

hy·droly·sis (hī dräl′ə sis)

noun pl. hydrolyses -·ses′ (-sēz′)

a chemical reaction in which a substance reacts with water so as to be changed into one or more other substances, as a starch into glucose, natural fats into glycerol and fatty acids, or a salt into a weak acid or a weak base

Etymology: hydro- + -lysis

Related Forms:

  • hydrolytic hy′dro·lyt′ic (hī′drō lit′ik) adjective

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Comments
Improve this definition.
Do you have more to add? Share your linguistic knowledge or observation.
/Register to save your comments.