Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense ferments, present participle fermenting, past tense, past participle fermentedpronunciation note: The noun is pronounced (fɜːʳment). The verb is pronounced (fəʳment).
1. uncountable noun
Ferment is excitement and trouble caused by change or uncertainty.
The whole country has been in a state of political ferment for some months.
Synonyms: commotion, turmoil, unrest, turbulence More Synonyms of ferment
2. verb
If a food, drink, or other natural substance ferments, or if it is fermented, a chemical change takes place in it so that alcohol is produced. This process forms part of the production of alcoholic drinks such as wine and beer.
The dried grapes are allowed to ferment until there is no sugar left and the wineis dry. [VERB]
Manufacturers ferment the yeast to produce a more concentrated product. [VERB noun]
...partially fermented wine. [VERB-ed]
fermentation (fɜːʳmenteɪʃən)uncountable noun
Yeast is essential for the fermentation that produces alcohol.
More Synonyms of ferment
ferment in British English
noun (ˈfɜːmɛnt)
1.
any agent or substance, such as a bacterium, mould, yeast, or enzyme, that causes fermentation
2. another word for fermentation
3.
commotion; unrest
verb (fəˈmɛnt)
4.
to undergo or cause to undergo fermentation
5.
to stir up or seethe with excitement
▶ USAGE See note at foment
Derived forms
fermentable (ferˈmentable)
adjective
fermentability (ferˌmentaˈbility)
noun
fermenter (ferˈmenter)
noun
Word origin
C15: from Latin fermentum yeast, from fervēre to seethe
ferment in American English
(ˈfɜrˌmɛnt; for v. fərˈmɛnt)
noun
1.
a substance or organism causing fermentation, as yeast, bacteria, enzymes, etc.
2.
fermentation
3.
a state of excitement or agitation
verb transitive
4.
to cause fermentation in
5.
to excite; agitate
verb intransitive
6.
to be in the process of fermentation
7.
to be excited or agitated; seethe
Derived forms
fermentable (ferˈmentable)
adjective
Word origin
ME < OFr < L fermentum, leaven, yeast < fervere, to boil, be agitated: see barm
Examples of 'ferment' in a sentence
ferment
Today the drink is fermented in steel tanks rather than in bottles.
The Sun (2016)
Prosecco The Italian wine is fermented in tanks and then bottled.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
And by the sounds of it she spends quite a lot of her time being cupped, oiled and scrubbed - and eating fermented food.
The Sun (2016)
Rum can be made from the fermented juice of crushed sugar cane, or from molasses, which is left over when sugar is removed from the cane.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Too much yeast in his gut means starchy and sugary grub is fermented into alcohol.
The Sun (2013)
The sugars are fermented with yeast to produce alcohol.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
The theory runs that fermented foods introduce beneficial bacteria into the gut.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Yet past promises can suddenly become malleable amid political ferment.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
There was a ferment of excitement that they might actually do something.
Simon Ball THE GUARDSMEN (2004)
This family of elephants roll around in a heap after getting drunk on fermented fruit.
The Sun (2014)
When the wine has fermented in the spring the new wine is carefully drawn off.
Lashford, Stephanie The Residue Report - an action plan for safer food (1988)
And what is alcohol but fermented sugar anyway?
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Science is now confirming ancient wisdom about fermented foods and the beneficial bacteria they contain.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
This was a time of political ferment in the newly independent country.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
The beast was sozzled after scoffing fermented fruit.
The Sun (2014)
This fruit was then mixed with newly fermented wine.
Aldiss, Brian Somewhere East of Life (1994)
Popular fermented foods such as miso are widely available.
The Sun (2015)
With cocoa, one common cutback is to not ferment or dry the beans properly.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
There has rarely been such a place of intellectual ferment as Vienna between the wars.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Leave the yeast to ferment for 15 min.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
The intellectual ferment in China settled down surprisingly quickly.
Grenville, J. A. S. The Collins History of the World in the 20th Century (1994)
Alexandria is brought to life, with its classical streets and intellectual ferment.
The Times Literary Supplement (2013)
Moreover, wine is a fermented drink.
Christianity Today (2000)
Nobody knows for sure what causes this, but it may be the effect of eating fermented fruit.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
The most important things to avoid are: sugar, alcohol and fermented foods.
MacIntyre, Anne M. E. Post-Viral Fatigue Syndrome - How To Live With It (1989)
The taste of its fermented juice was likened by some to that of a "red Bordeaux '.
Christy Campbell PHYLLOXERA: How Wine was Saved for the World (2004)
They are crushed and fermented into a dry cider then double distilled, aged in oak barrels for upwards of two years before being blended and bottled.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
In other languages
ferment
British English: ferment NOUN
Ferment is excitement and trouble caused by change or uncertainty.
The whole country has been in a state of political ferment for some months.
American English: ferment
Brazilian Portuguese: agitação
Chinese: 骚动
European Spanish: agitación
French: effervescence
German: Unruhe
Italian: fermento
Japanese: 騒ぎ
Korean: 대소동
European Portuguese: agitação
Latin American Spanish: agitación
Chinese translation of 'ferment'
ferment
(vbfəˈmɛnt; nˈfəːmɛnt)
vi
[beer, dough, fruit]发(發)酵 (fājiào)
vt
[beer, dough, fruit]使发(發)酵 (shǐ fājiào)
n(u)
(= unrest) 骚(騷)动(動) (sāodòng)
to be in ferment处(處)于(於)动(動)荡(盪)不安中 (chǔyú dòngdàng bù'ān zhōng)
1 (noun)
Definition
excitement and unrest caused by change or uncertainty
The country is in a state of political ferment.
Synonyms
commotion
He heard a terrible commotion outside.
turmoil
a year of political turmoil
unrest
The real danger is civil unrest in the east of the country.
turbulence
a region often beset by religious turbulence
trouble
Riot police are being deployed to prevent any trouble.
heat
It was all done in the heat of the moment.
excitement
The audience was in a state of great excitement.
glow
fever
I got married in a fever of excitement.
disruption
frenzy
stew
furore
an international furore over the plan
uproar
The announcement caused uproar in the crowd.
agitation
He was in a state of emotional agitation.
tumult
the recent tumult in global financial markets
hubbub
brouhaha
imbroglio
state of unrest
Opposites
quiet
,
hush
,
tranquillity
,
stillness
,
calmness
,
peacefulness
,
restfulness
2 (noun)
Definition
any substance, such as yeast, that causes fermentation
Synonyms
yeast
mother
bacteria
leaven
The ingredients include wholemeal flour, wheat leven, water and salt.
leavening
barm
fermentation agent
mother-of-vinegar
1 (verb)
Definition
to undergo or cause to undergo fermentation
red wine made from grapes left to ferment for three weeks
Synonyms
brew
I brew my own iced tea.
froth
The sea froths over my feet.
concoct
He said the prisoner had concocted the story to get a lighter sentence.
effervesce
These tablets effervesce when water is added.
work
rise
I covered the dough to let it rise.
heat
boil
I stood in the kitchen, waiting for the water to boil.
bubble
The fermenting tea bubbled over the top.
foam
We watched the water foam and bubble.
seethe
a seething cauldron of broth
leaven
They used sour dough to leaven their bread.
2 (verb)
They tried to ferment political unrest.
Synonyms
stir up
excite
The proposal failed to excite our interest.
provoke
His comments have provoked a shocked reaction.
rouse
He did more to rouse the crowd than anybody else.
agitate
The thought of them inheriting all these things agitated her.
inflame
They hold the rebels responsible for inflaming the villagers.
incite
He incited his fellow citizens to take revenge.
3 (verb)
Definition
to undergo or cause to undergo fermentation
His anger still ferments after a decade.
Synonyms
smoulder
He smouldered as he drove home for lunch.
seethe
fester
Resentments are starting to fester.
heat
Meanwhile, heat the tomatoes and oil in a pan.
boil
foment
see foment
Additional synonyms
in the sense of agitate
Definition
to excite, disturb, or trouble
The thought of them inheriting all these things agitated her.
Synonyms
upset,
worry,
trouble,
disturb,
excite,
alarm,
stimulate,
distract,
rouse,
ruffle,
inflame,
incite,
unnerve,
disconcert,
disquiet,
fluster,
perturb,
faze,
work someone up,
give someone grief (British, South Africa),
arouse,
ferment
in the sense of agitation
He was in a state of emotional agitation.
Synonyms
turmoil,
worry,
trouble,
upset,
alarm,
confusion,
excitement,
disturbance,
distraction,
upheaval,
stimulation,
flurry,
outcry,
clamour,
arousal,
ferment,
disquiet,
commotion,
fluster,
lather (informal),
incitement,
tumult,
discomposure,
tizzy, tizz or tiz-woz (informal)
in the sense of boil
Definition
to bubble and be agitated like something boiling
I stood in the kitchen, waiting for the water to boil.