Ripener

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A substance or thing that causes fruits or other produce to become ripe
2. An agent that promotes or accelerates the process of ripening in plants or food
3. Something that induces or speeds up the maturation and readiness of fruits or crops for harvest

Etymology: "Ripener" is about as plain as English word-building gets: the verb "ripen" with the agent suffix "-er" attached, so it names a thing that ripens something. "Ripen" itself comes from the Old English "ripian", the verb built on "ripe", which has been in the language since before the Norman Conquest and describes fruit and grain reaching full maturity. Adding "-er" to a verb to name the doer or the means is one of English's most productive habits, which is why the same pattern gives us "opener", "sharpener" and "tenderiser". In the case of "ripener", the suffix points to an agent rather than a person: a substance or process that brings fruit to ripeness. The word is a transparent technical coinage of this kind, so its meaning follows directly from its parts, and no earlier sense has been lost or reversed along the way.

Synonyms: maturer, seasoner, enricher

Antonyms: spoiler, deteriorator