Acetifies

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To convert into vinegar or a vinegar-like substance through a chemical process
2. To undergo a transformation in which a substance gains acidic qualities akin to those in vinegar
3. To cause something to become acidified, resulting in a change in its composition toward acidity

Etymology: "Acetifies" is the third-person singular form of "acetify," so it simply means "acetify" as used with a subject such as "it" or "she." The root is the Latin "acetum," meaning vinegar, which is also the source of the chemical term "acetic," as in acetic acid, the sour compound that gives vinegar its bite. The verb itself is built from that Latin root plus the English suffix "-fy," which comes from Latin "-ficare" and is used to form verbs meaning "to make into" something, as in "liquefy" or "simplify." Some dictionaries instead treat "acetify" as a back-formation from "acetification," a noun for the process of turning into vinegar, so the verb may have arisen by stripping an ending off the longer word rather than by adding one.

Synonyms: acidifies, sours, ferments