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to acidify

to acidify

1 6.1
To make something more acidic or sour
  • verb
  • /əˈsɪdəˌfaɪ/
translation icon : acidificar
  • But if our oceans continue to acidify, even the healthiest marine ecosystems will be at heightened risk.
  • acidify lakes
  • acidifying pollutants

But as we warm the planet, as we acidify the ocean, as we put toxic materials and exotic things in the ocean, there'll be winners and losers.

Examples

  • Farmers often acidify their soil to improve the growth of certain crops.

  • These all acidify lakes and streams, kill crops and forests, and damage soil to inhibit future growth.

  • It's one of the best known natural wonders of the world, already under threat from warming and acidifying oceans.

  • And note that, as the oceans warm and acidify, they become less effective at dissolving CO2.

    Blog text (19)
  • In Step 1, fermentative bacteria acidify putrescibles and establish a low pH.

    Academic text (2000)
  • We've added too much CO2 to the atmosphere, and we've warmed and acidified the oceans.

    Blog text (28)
  • The factory's wastewater can acidify nearby rivers, affecting local wildlife.

  • To create the perfect cheese, you need to acidify the milk before the fermentation process.

Synonyms

to sour
vsto acidify
12 3.4

Become bad in taste or become upset

focuses on increasing acidity rather than causing spoilage
to acetify
vsto acidify
9.9

To become sour and change into vinegar

makes something more sour without needing vinegar conversion
to acidulate
vsto acidify
  • Specialized
9.4

Make something slightly sour by adding lemon or vinegar

makes something noticeably more sour rather than only a slight change

Antonyms

to alkalize
  • Specialized
1 7.2

Make something less acidic by adding baking soda

Phrasal Verbs

To make water more acidic by adding acid

How Acidic

to corrode
22 5.6
to acidify
1 6.1
to neutralize
  • Specialized
19 5.8

Surface Forms

acidify infinitive
acidified past
acidified past participle
acidifying present participle
acidifies third person singular

Morphology

acidify = acid (transparent) = acid + ify

The verb is formed by adding the productive suffix '-ify' to 'acid', giving the straightforward meaning 'to make acidic'.

Etymology

Acidify combines acid meaning 'sour' and the ending -ify meaning 'to make', as in clarify, so it literally means to make something more 'sour' or acidic.