esterification

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noun

Any reaction (typically between an acid and an alcohol) that results in the production of an ester

“Aldrichimica Acta Volume 30 No 4 (pdf) from Sigma-Aldrich Vinylcyclopropane 19 is readily converted to diester 22 by oxidative cleavage followed by esterification.”

OriginEnglish ester ← German Ester ← Latin aethēr →
UncommonScrabble 19
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Meanings

nounesterification (countable and uncountable, plural esterifications)

plural esterifications

  1. countableuncountablechemistryAny reaction (typically between an acid and an alcohol) that results in the production of an ester

    Aldrichimica Acta Volume 30 No 4 (pdf) from Sigma-Aldrich Vinylcyclopropane 19 is readily converted to diester 22 by oxidative cleavage followed by esterification.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₂eḱ-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*h₂eḱéh₁yeti
  3. Proto-Italic*akēō
  4. Latinaceō
  5. Latinacēscō
  6. Latinacētum
  7. Proto-West Germanic*aket
  8. Proto-West Germanic*atek
  9. Old High Germaneȥȥih
  10. Middle High Germaneȥȥich
  11. GermanEssich
  12. GermanEssig
  13. Proto-Indo-European*h₂eydʰ-
  14. Proto-Hellenic*áitʰō
  15. Ancient Greekαἴθω (aíthō)
  16. Ancient Greekᾱ̓ήρ (āḗr)influ.?
  17. Ancient Greekαἰθήρ (aithḗr)
  18. Latinaethēr
  19. GermanÄther
  20. GermanEster
  21. Englishester
  22. Englishesterification

From ester + -ification.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan esterificació
  • esterificacióorganic reaction
Dutch esterificatie
  • esterificatieorganic reaction
French estérification
  • estérificationorganic reaction
Irish eistearúchán
  • eistearúchánorganic reaction
Italian esterificazione
  • esterificazioneorganic reaction
Māori whakapāharetanga
  • whakapāharetangaorganic reaction
Spanish esterificación
  • esterificaciónorganic reaction
Welsh esteriad
  • esteriadorganic reaction
Cite this entry
APA

esterification. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/esterification

MLA

“esterification.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/esterification. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “esterification,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/esterification.

Source: esterification on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.