Saponify
/səˈpɒnɪfaɪ/noun
To convert fats or oils into soap by reaction with an alkali.
Did you know?Saponify comes from Latin sapo, a word for soap that may have been tied to old washing customs long before it became a chemistry term.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
sapo
“soap”
Late Latin
Latin
saponificare
“to make into soap”
17th Century
English
saponify
“to make soap from fats or oils”
Modern English
English
saponify
“to convert fats or oils into soap by alkaline hydrolysis”
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