Hydrolysis

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  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]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  hydrolysis
       n : 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