Dictionary

denature en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /diːˈnɛː.t͡ʃɐ/ (Northern-England)
• /diːˈneɪt͡ʃə(ɹ)/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /diˈneɪ̯.t͡ʃəɹ/ (Canada, General-American)
• (Southern-England) audio
• /diːˈnæɪ̯.t͡ʃə/ (Australia, New-Zealand)
• /diːˈneɪtjə(ɹ)/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

Borrowed from French dénaturer. By surface analysis, de- + nature.

Meanings

1. (transitive) To take away a natural characteristic or inherent property of (a thing or a person).
2. (transitive) To add something to (alcohol) that makes it unsuitable for consumption but leaves it suitable for most other purposes.
   • While you cannot drink denatured alcohol, you can still use it to remove sticker glue from most surfaces.
3. (intransitive, transitive) To alter its original form or state, especially of a protein, by heat, acidity etc.
   • Because the activity of an enzyme depends on its structure, any change in that structure will destroy its effectiveness. So cooking foods sufficiently will denature and inactivate any enzymes they may contain. 2004, Harold McGee, chapter 15, in On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen, Scribner, →ISBN:
   • Sugars are wonderfully robust materials! Unlike proteins that easily denature and coagulate, unlike fats that are damaged by air and heat and go rancid, unlike starch chains that break apart into smaller chains of glucose molecules, sugars themselves are small and stable molecules. 2004, Harold McGee, chapter 12, in On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen, Scribner, →ISBN:
4. (intransitive, transitive) Of double-stranded DNA, specifically to split into two single strands.
5. (qualifier:nuclear physics, transitive, usually) To combine fissile material with nonfissile material in order to prevent its use in an atomic weapon.

Forms

Antonyms

renature · renature

Deriveds

denaturability · denaturation · denaturer · codenature · denaturable · denaturant · nondenaturing · denaturization · denaturize · denatonium

Synonyms

denaturalize

Translations (18)

es desnaturalizar (to subject a protein to conditions altering its original form) · cs denaturovat (to add substance to make unsuitable for consumption) · de vergällen (to add substance to make unsuitable for consumption) · es desnaturalizar (to take away a natural characteristic of) · da denaturere (to take away a natural characteristic of) · ca desnaturar (to take away a natural characteristic of) · pl denaturować (to add substance to make unsuitable for consumption) · pl denaturować (to subject a protein to conditions altering its original form) · fi denaturoida (to add substance to make unsuitable for consumption) · fr dénaturer (to subject a protein to conditions altering its original form) · fa واسرشتن (to subject a protein to conditions altering its original form) · fi denaturoida (to subject a protein to conditions altering its original form) · fr dénaturer (to take away a natural characteristic of) · pl uczynić mniej naturalnym (to take away a natural characteristic of) · pl czynić mniej naturalnym (to take away a natural characteristic of) · fi tehdä luonnottomaksi (to take away a natural characteristic of) · de denaturieren (to subject a protein to conditions altering its original form) · ca desnaturalitzar (to take away a natural characteristic of)