saponify
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sa·pon·i·fy
(să-pon'i-fī),To perform or undergo saponification.
Farlex Partner Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012
saponify
(să-pŏn′ĭ-fī)To convert into a soap, as when fats are treated with an alkali to produce a free alcohol plus the salt of the fatty acid. Thus, stearin, saponified with sodium hydroxide, yields the alcohol glycerol plus the soap sodium stearate.
Medical Dictionary, © 2009 Farlex and Partners