hydrolysis

[ hahy-drol-uh-sis ]

noun,plural hy·drol·y·ses [hahy-drol-uh-seez]. /haɪˈdrɒl əˌsiz/.
  1. chemical decomposition in which a compound is split into other compounds by reacting with water.

Origin of hydrolysis

1
First recorded in 1875–80; hydro-1 + -lysis

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How to use hydrolysis in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for hydrolysis

hydrolysis

/ (haɪˈdrɒlɪsɪs) /


noun
  1. a chemical reaction in which a compound reacts with water to produce other compounds

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for hydrolysis

hydrolysis

[ hī-drŏlĭ-sĭs ]


  1. The reaction of water with another chemical compound to form two or more products, involving the ionization of the water molecule and usually splitting the other compound. The proteins, fats, and complex carbohydrates in food are broken down in the body by hydrolysis that is catalyzed by enzymes in the digestive tract.

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