hydrolysis

2 definitions found

hydrolysis - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Hydrolysis \Hy*drol"y*sis\, n. [Hydro-, 1 + -lysis.] (Chem.)
     A chemical process causing the splitting of a chemical bond
     by the addition of the elements of water. Where the bond
     which is split is not part of a ring structure, this process
     causes formation of two compounds from one compound plus
     water, as in the hydrolysis of the ester bonds of fats during
     saponification.
     [Webster 1913 Suppl. +PJC]

hydrolysis - WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005) :

  hydrolysis
      n 1: a chemical reaction in which water reacts with a compound
           to produce other compounds; involves the splitting of a
           bond and the addition of the hydrogen cation and the
           hydroxide anion from the water