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Glite Dictionary
raising agent

raising agent

3.7
An ingredient added to dough or batter that makes it light and soft by making small bubbles
  • noun
  • /ˈreɪzɪŋ ˈeɪdʒənt/
  • UK
translation icon : agente leudante
  • Soda bread is made without yeast, using baking soda as the raising agent.

Examples

  • Yeast is the traditional raising agent for making homemade bread.

  • Always check the label to see which raising agent is used in your baking powder.

  • A good raising agent is essential for fluffy cakes.

  • What is the best raising agent for bread?

  • Baking powder is a popular raising agent that helps cakes rise and become fluffy.

  • Many recipes call for yeast as a raising agent to create a light and airy bread.

  • The chef added a raising agent to the batter, which caused it to rise beautifully in the oven.

Synonyms

leavening
vsraising agent
  • Specialized
1 4.5

An ingredient added to dough or batter to make it rise and become light

also covers gas makers that act without fermentation
leavening agent
vsraising agent
  • Specialized
1 3.8

An ingredient added to dough or batter to make it rise and become lighter

is the broad term for any substance that makes dough rise
leaven agent
vsraising agent
  • Specialized
3.9

An ingredient added to dough or batter to make it rise and become lighter

is the general term covering all such gas producing substances

How Light

yeast
  • Specialized
68 1.1
raising agent
  • UK
3.7
baking powder
15 1.0
baking soda
  • US
29 1.2
air
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

raising agent singular
raising agents plural

Morphology

raise + agent

The meaning is directly compositional: 'raising' (causing to rise) combined with 'agent' (a thing or substance that produces an effect) yields 'a substance that makes dough/batter rise.' This follows a regular English participle+noun pattern and has clear equivalents in many languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents should be able to infer the meaning.

Etymology

Raising agent gives a simple image: raising is the job and agent is the small helper that makes dough 'rise' by making tiny bubbles like little balloons, so the bread becomes 'light' and soft.