denaturation

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noun

de·​na·​tur·​ation (ˌ)dē-ˌnā-chə-ˈrā-shən 

: the process of denaturing

denature

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verb

de·​na·​ture (ˈ)dē-ˈnā-chər 

denatured; denaturing -ˈnāch-(ə-)riŋ 

transitive verb

: to deprive of natural qualities: as

a

: to make (alcohol) unfit for drinking (as by adding an obnoxious substance) without impairing usefulness for other purposes

b

: to modify the molecular structure of (as a protein or DNA) especially by heat, acid, alkali, or ultraviolet radiation so as to destroy or diminish some of the original properties and especially the specific biological activity

intransitive verb

: to become denatured