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Glite Dictionary
🧬 Loss of structure 🚫 Making undrinkable
denaturation

denaturation

8.2
Adding chemicals to alcohol to make it poisonous or taste bitter
  • noun
  • /ˌdɛnəˈtʃʊrɛɪʃən/
  • Specialized
translation icon : desnaturalización
  • Most industrial alcohol undergoes denaturation to prevent misuse.

Examples

  • After denaturation, the alcohol can be safely used as a solvent but not for drinking.

  • The denaturation of industrial alcohol prevents people from consuming it as a beverage.

  • Government regulations require the denaturation of ethanol used in cleaning products.

  • The denaturation of ethanol makes it unsafe to consume.

  • The denaturation of industrial alcohol prevents people from consuming it as a beverage.

  • Government regulations require the denaturation of ethanol used in cleaning products.

  • The denaturation of ethanol makes it unsafe to consume.

How Undrinkable

denaturation
  • Specialized
8.2
drinkable
9 1.5

Surface Forms

denaturation singular
denaturations plural

Morphology

denaturation = denature (opaque) = de + nature + ation

The industrial/legal meaning 'make alcohol unfit to drink' is a conventionalized, domain-specific sense that is not deducible from 'de-' + 'nature' by most learners.

Etymology

Denaturation comes from the parts de- ('remove' or 'change') and nature ('natural form'). So when alcohol is denatured, its 'natural' use as a drink is taken away by added chemicals, making it bitter or poisonous and not for drinking.