photofermentation

noun

fermentation that only proceeds in the presence of light; especially a process of producing hydrogen. Unlike biophotolysis in which hydrogen is produced from water, photofermentation produces hydrogen from organic substrates.

OriginEnglish fermentation ← Ancient Greek φωτο- (phōto-) ← Proto-Hellenic *pʰáwos →
Scrabble 27
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Meanings

nounphotofermentation (countable and uncountable, plural photofermentations)

plural photofermentations

  1. countableuncountablefermentation that only proceeds in the presence of light; especially a process of producing hydrogen. Unlike biophotolysis in which hydrogen is produced from water, photofermentation produces hydrogen from organic substrates.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*bʰeh₂-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*bʰéh₂os
  3. Proto-Hellenic*pʰáwos
  4. Ancient Greekφᾰ́ος (phắos)
  5. Ancient Greekφῶς (phôs)
  6. Ancient Greekφωτο- (phōto-)
  7. Englishphoto-
  8. Englishfermentation
  9. Englishphotofermentation

From photo- + fermentation.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Italian fotofermentazione
  • fotofermentazionefermentation due to light
Cite this entry
APA

photofermentation. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/photofermentation

MLA

“photofermentation.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/photofermentation. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “photofermentation,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/photofermentation.

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