Hydrogenise

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To treat or combine a substance with hydrogen, typically in a chemical process ; to convert an unsaturated fat into a more solid, saturated form by adding hydrogen atoms
2. Chemically to add hydrogen to a compound or material ; in food processing, to harden an unsaturated oil into a saturated fat through the addition of hydrogen
3. Bonding a material with hydrogen in a reaction ; specifically, turning liquid vegetable oils into solid fats by saturating them with hydrogen

Etymology: Hydrogen itself was named in the 1780s, from Greek roots meaning "water-former," because burning it produces water. The verb "hydrogenise" is simpler: it is built from "hydrogen" plus the suffix "-ise," which turns a noun into a verb meaning to treat or combine with that substance. The suffix has a longer path than the word it sits on. It descends from Ancient Greek "-izein," passed through Late Latin "-izare" and Old French "-iser" before reaching English as "-ise." In chemistry, hydrogenating means adding hydrogen atoms to a compound, most often to an unsaturated fat or oil to make it solid at room temperature. The verb follows that pattern, so it describes the process as much as the element.

Synonyms: hydrogenate, hydrogenize

Antonyms: dehydrogenate