saponify

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/səˈpɒnɪfʌɪ/

verb

To convert (a fat or oil) into soap.

OriginFrench saponifier ← Late Latin sāpō, sāpōnem →
Scrabble 16
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Meanings

verbsaponify (third-person singular simple present saponifies, present participle saponifying, simple past and past participle saponified)

present singular third person saponifies · participle present saponifying · participle past saponified · past saponified

  1. transitiveTo convert (a fat or oil) into soap.
  2. intransitiveTo be converted into soap.
  3. transitivechemistryTo hydrolyze (an ester) using an alkali.

Origin

  1. Late Latinsāpō, sāpōnem“soap”
  2. Frenchsaponifier
  3. Englishsaponify

From French saponifier, from Late Latin sāpō, sāpōnem (“soap”).

More words from French, Late Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian осапунвам
  • осапунвам (osapunvam)to convert into soap
Italian saponificare
  • saponificareto convert into soap
Portuguese saponificar
  • saponificarto convert into soap
Spanish saponificar
  • saponificarto convert into soap
Welsh seboneiddio
  • seboneiddioto convert into soap
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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