Pasteurising

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Applying a controlled heat treatment to liquids or foods to destroy harmful bacteria and extend shelf life
2. Heating consumable products to a specific temperature for a set time to eliminate pathogens while preserving quality
3. Using moderate heat on food items to reduce microbial contamination and improve safety without sterilizing

Etymology: "Pasteurising" is the -ing form of "pasteurise," a verb built on the name of the French chemist Louis Pasteur, who developed the heat process in the 1860s. The process was devised to stop wine and beer from souring during fermentation, and Pasteur's work showed that gentle heating could kill the microbes responsible without boiling the liquid away. The verb came into use as a borrowing from French "pasteuriser," which itself took Pasteur's surname and added the French verb-forming ending "-iser." English then took the same route, attaching the ending "-ise" to the name, so a person's name became a verb meaning to apply his method. Other verbs made this way include "boycott," named after Captain Charles Boycott, though the pattern is the same: a surname turned into an action.

Synonyms: pasteurizing