Acidifications

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The process of making something acidic through the addition of acids; the phenomenon where environmental factors lead to a decrease in pH levels in a given medium; the increase of acidity in substances or ecosystems, often due to human activity or natural processes
2. A transformation resulting in higher acidity levels by introducing acids; an occurrence causing natural systems to become more acidic over time; the act of causing a substance to become more sour, often with significant ecological impacts
3. The act or process of increasing the acidity in a solution or environment; changes that result in acidification of waters, soils, or other materials; the effect of alterations leading to a more acidic state, which can harm living organisms

Etymology: "Acidifications" is the plural of "acidification", a noun borrowed from French, where it was formed from "acide" (acid) and the suffix "-ification", which turns a base into the act or process of making something into that base. English took the term directly from French, so the plural simply counts separate instances or kinds of the process. The Latin root "acidus", meaning sour, lies behind the French "acide", which is why the word ultimately traces back to the sharp taste of sour things.