denatured

Thân thiện

The scientist uses denatured alcohol to clean the laboratory equipment.

Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Changed in nature or natural quality: Refers to a substance, especially a protein or alcohol, that has had its original properties altered or destroyed, often through chemical treatment or heat.
   • Made unfit for a specific purpose: Often implies that a substance has been deliberately altered to make it unsuitable for its original use, such as consumption, while retaining its utility for other purposes like industrial use.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • The laboratory uses denatured alcohol for cleaning equipment because it is not drinkable.
  • High heat can cause denatured proteins in an egg, changing its texture from liquid to solid.

Advanced Usage

• "Denatured" in a broader context: While most common in chemistry and biology, the concept can be applied metaphorically to describe something whose essential character has been fundamentally altered.
  • The artist felt the commercial demands had denatured her original creative vision. (Here, 'denatured' is used as a verb in a figurative sense, meaning to alter the fundamental nature of.)

Variants and Related Words

• Denature (verb): The action of causing something to become denatured.
  • The enzyme will denature at high temperatures.
• Denaturation (noun): The process or result of becoming denatured.
  • The denaturation of the protein was irreversible.

Synonyms

• Altered: Changed in form or character.
• Deformed: Distorted in form, often implying a negative change.
• Adulterated: Made impure by adding inferior substances. (Note: 'Adulterated' often implies contamination for deception, while 'denatured' is usually a deliberate, declared process.)

Antonyms

• Natural: Existing in or derived from nature; not altered.
• Pure: Not mixed or adulterated with any other substance or material.
• Native: In its original, unaltered form.

Related Phrases/Idioms

• Denatured alcohol: A specific, common term for ethanol that has been made unfit for human consumption by adding chemicals (denaturants).
  • Always use denatured alcohol as a solvent, not drinking alcohol, for this project.

Học thuật

Adjective

1. changed in nature or natural quality
   • denatured alcohol

Từ đồng nghĩa

• denaturized
• denaturised