Saponifier

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A chemical agent or alkali used to convert fats and oils into soap through a process called saponification
2. An ingredient such as lye or sodium hydroxide that breaks down lipids into fatty acids and glycerin to produce soap
3. A substance that facilitates the transformation of oils and fats into a soap-like product by hydrolysis

Etymology: Saponifier is a plain formation: the verb "saponify" with the agent suffix "-er" added, so the word names the thing or agent that carries out saponification. Saponify itself comes from the Latin "sapo" (soap), combined with the suffix "-ify" meaning "to make," so to saponify is to make soap, usually by reacting a fat or oil with an alkali. A saponifier is therefore whatever does that job, most often the alkali such as sodium or potassium hydroxide that converts fats into soap and glycerol.

Synonyms: saponifying agent