ferment

verb

fer·ment | \ (ˌ)fər-ˈment

fermented; fermenting; ferments

Definition of ferment

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : to undergo fermentation The wine ferments in oak barrels.

2 : to be in a state of agitation or intense activity everything ferments in him—his thoughts, sensations, and memories; nothing stays quiet— Janet Flanner

transitive verb

1 : to cause to undergo fermentation Yeast ferments the sugar in the juice.

2 : to work up (as into a state of agitation) : foment

ferment

noun

fer·ment | \ ˈfər-ˌment also (ˌ)fər-ˈment

Definition of ferment (Entry 2 of 2)

1a : a living organism (such as a yeast) that causes fermentation by virtue of its enzymes

b : enzyme

2a : a state of unrest : agitation

b : a process of active often disorderly development the great period of creative ferment in literature— William Barrett

Other Words from ferment Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about ferment

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Examples of ferment in a Sentence

Verb

The wine ferments in oak barrels. Yeast ferments the sugar in the juice.

Noun

The city was in a state of ferment after the election. the city was in ferment as its residents nervously awaited the airborne invasion that was sure to come

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Doctors believe that the bacteria in your gut tends to ferment these carbohydrate sugars, creating gases like carbon dioxide, hydrogen, and methane in the GI tract, Dr. Eugenio says. — Colleen Stinchcombe, Woman's Day, "Why Am I Always Bloated?," 29 Oct. 2018 In rural Kerala, coconut-palm sap is fermented into a funky alcoholic drink called toddy. — Max Falkowitz, WSJ, "Flake News: Fresh Coconut Is Delicious," 23 Nov. 2018 Jung’s personal favorite—those green tea leaves are also fermented twice after handpicking to further enhance their anti-aging properties prior to extraction. — Vogue, "South Korea’s Jeju Island Has the Best Beaches, Freshest Seafood, and the Makings for the Best Beauty Products Ever—Green Tea," 18 Sep. 2018 The dough is fermented for 36 to 48 hours, a length of time that imparts greater flavor. — Devra First, BostonGlobe.com, "Learning how to make Bertucci’s beloved rolls," 18 June 2018 Alexis Schwartz wants you to pair sparkly natural wines that have been fermented in the bottle with Wu’s Wonton King. — Emily Sundberg, Bon Appetit, "Alexis Schwartz Wants You to Pair Magnums of Natural Wine with Takeout," 7 June 2018 Half the wine was fermented traditionally, half as whole clusters on their stems, producing a carbonic fermentation that gives the wine its youthful fragrance, fruitiness and vitality. — Mike Dunne, sacbee, "Bright and intriguing wines in full bloom at these four foothill wineries | The Sacramento Bee," 9 May 2018 Recipes also can be found The Spice House website (thespicehouse.com). ***** This recipe uses cloves of black garlic, which is fermented and aged garlic. — Joanne Kempinger Demski, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Spice savvy: These 7 trendy seasonings will add pizzazz to your cooking," 27 Feb. 2018 All the mead—an alcoholic beverage created by fermenting honey with water, yeast, and other fruits and spices—is made in-house. — Christian Allaire, Vogue, "9 Celebrity Owned Bars That Are Worth the Hype," 20 Dec. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

The grapes are pressed and sealed in containers to ferment, just like any other wine. — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, "The secret to champagne’s universal appeal is the physics of bubbles," 31 Dec. 2018 The milky emulsion also contains leucidal liquid, which is a natural preservative comprised of radish root ferment that has anti-bacterial properties i.e. your hair will also get a nice natural cleanse in the process. — Lauren Valenti, Marie Claire, ""Hair Water" Is the Ancient Japanese Beauty Trend Making a Big Comeback Right Now," 23 Mar. 2016 Leave out at room temperature to ferment for 12 to 14 hours until at least doubled in volume. — Noor Brara, Vogue, "Samin Nosrat Wants Viewers to Cook What They See on Her New Netflix Show, Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat," 19 Oct. 2018 But with a few companies now dominating the field, that ferment is less likely to continue. — Glenn Harlan Reynolds, WSJ, "When Digital Platforms Become Censors," 18 Aug. 2018 Once the beans are harvested, they are left to ferment for several days and then dried. — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, "Chocolate has an even earlier origin than we thought, new study finds," 29 Oct. 2018 Everything is crafted using age-old methods: A batch of their best soy sauce, the Gold Label Light Soy Sauce, for example, ferments under the sun, untouched, for about three months. — Janice Leung Hayes, Condé Nast Traveler, "22 Best Shops in Hong Kong," 4 Mar. 2018 Amid this ferment, a leading Iraqi cleric, Abdel Majid al-Khoei, was killed in the Shiite holy city of Najaf, shocking millions of followers. — Margaret Coker, New York Times, "Once Hated by U.S. and Tied to Iran, Is Sadr Now ‘Face of Reform’ in Iraq?," 20 May 2018 The 3-year-old startup ferments yeast cells that are genetically programmed to synthesize animal collagen, the primary protein in skin, cartilage and tendons. — Jonathan Kauffman, San Francisco Chronicle, "The next generation of clothing is coming. It’s made by microbes.," 19 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ferment.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.