Main Entry: Bab·cock test

Pronunciation: \ˈbab-ˌkäk-\

Function: noun

: a test for determining the fat content of milk and milk products

Babcock, Stephen Moulton (1843–1931), American agricultural chemist. During his career Babcock provided agriculture with a number of inventions and procedures, the Babcock test being the foremost. The introduction of this test, devised in 1890, discouraged the watering down of milk, resulted in a scale for milk prices based on quality, and provided a new impetus for the improvement of dairy herds. Babcock also invented an improved viscometer, which is used for measuring the viscosity of milk and other liquids, and did research on the nutritional value of various feeds, thereby providing groundwork for the discovery of vitamin A.