Results for preservative
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Dictionary:

preservative

  (prĭ-zûr'və-tĭv) pronunciation
adj.

Tending to preserve or capable of preserving.

n.

Something used to preserve, especially a chemical added to foods to inhibit spoilage.


 
 
Food and Nutrition: preservatives

Substances capable of retarding or arresting the deterioration of food; examples are sulphur dioxide, benzoic acid, specified antibiotics, salt, acids, and essential oils.

 
Food and Fitness: preservatives

Substances added to food and drink to retard spoilage. Some preservatives (such as nitrates and sulphites) inhibit the growth of moulds and bacteria, while others (such as ascorbic acid, BHA, and BHT) stop fats from going rancid too quickly. Due to public concern about the safety of some of the artificial preservatives (e.g. BHT), there is a trend among manufacturers to replace these synthetic preservatives with natural ones (e.g. vitamin E).

 
Thesaurus: preservative

adjective

    Able to preserve: conservative, protective. See help/harm/harmless.

 
Dental Dictionary: preservative

n

A substance added to prevent deterioration.

 

Any of numerous chemical additives used to prevent or slow food spoilage caused by chemical changes (e.g., oxidation, mold growth) and maintain a fresh appearance and consistency. Antimycotics (e.g., sodium and calcium propionate, sorbic acid) inhibit mold growth; antioxidants (e.g., butylated hydroxytoluene or BHT) delay rancidity in foods containing fats and oils; antibiotics (e.g., tetracyclines) prevent bacterial growth; humectants retain moisture in products like shredded coconut; and antistaling agents (e.g., glyceryl monostearate) maintain moisture and softness in baked goods. Some preservatives also improve the appearance of the product (e.g., sodium nitrate and nitrite in meats).

For more information on preservative, visit Britannica.com.

 
Architecture: preservative


1. A product, such as creosote, used to make wood waterproof or immune against attack by insects, etc.
2. A protective coating on a metal surface.


 
Veterinary Dictionary: preservative

A substance added to a product to destroy or inhibit multiplication of microorganisms.

  • food p. — substances added to food for humans; hence they are not poisonous.
  • wood p. — chrome–copper–arsenic, chlorinated naphthalene, creosote; poisonous to most animals. See also wood preservative.
 
Word Tutor: preservative
pronunciation

IN BRIEF: A substance added to food to keep it from spoiling.

pronunciation A preservative was added to the candy to make it last a long time without refrigeration.

 
Wikipedia: preservative



A preservative is a natural or synthetic chemical that is added to products such as foods, pharmaceuticals, paints, biological samples,wood, etc. to prevent spoilage, whether from microbial growth or undesirable chemical changes.

Preservatives may be added to wood to prevent the growth of fungi as well as to repel insects and termites. Typically copper, borate, and petroleum based chemical compounds are used. For more information on wood preservatives see timber treatment, lumber and creosote.

Preservative food additives can be used alone or in conjunction with other methods of food preservation. A distinction is sometimes made between anti-microbial preservatives which function by inhibiting the growth of bacteria and fungi, and antioxidants such as oxygen absorbers, which inhibit the oxidation of food constituents. Common anti-microbial preservatives include calcium propionate, sodium nitrate, sodium nitrite, sulphites (sulfur dioxide, sodium bisulfite, potassium hydrogen sulfite, etc.) and disodium EDTA. Antioxidants include BHA and BHT. Other preservatives include formaldehyde (usually in solution), glutaraldehyde, diatomaceous earth (kills insects), ethanol and methylchloroisothiazolinone. The benefits and safety of many artificial food additives (including preservatives) are the subject of debate among academics and regulators specializing in food science and toxicology.

Foods such as salt, sugar or vinegar are also used as traditional natural preservatives. There is also two different ways to preserve food, and those are freezing food, or smoking food. Another group of preservatives targets enzymes in fruits and vegetables that continue to metabolize after they are cut. For instance, citric and ascorbic acids inhibit the action of the enzyme phenolase which turns surfaces of cut apples and potatoes brown.

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Translations: Translations for: Preservative

Dansk (Danish)
n. - konserveringsmiddel
adj. - bevarende

Nederlands (Dutch)
conserveermiddel, voorbehoedsmiddel, conserverend, behoudend

Français (French)
n. - agent de conservation, revêtement (protecteur)
adj. - de conservation

Deutsch (German)
n. - Konservierungsmittel
adj. - konservierend

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - συντηρητική ουσία, συντηρητικό
adj. - συντηρητικός, διατηρητικός

Italiano (Italian)
conservante

Português (Portuguese)
n. - conservante (m), preservativo (m)
adj. - conservante

Русский (Russian)
консервант, сохраняющий, предохраняющий

Español (Spanish)
n. - producto de conservación, conservante, preservativo, defensa
adj. - producto de conservación, conservante, profiláctico

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - konserveringsmedel, skyddsmedel
adj. - bevarande, konserverande

中文(简体) (Chinese (Simplified))
预防法, 防腐剂, 预防药, 保存的, 防腐的, 有保存力的

中文(繁體) (Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 預防法, 防腐劑, 預防藥
adj. - 保存的, 防腐的, 有保存力的

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 예방법, 방부제
adj. - 보존하는, 보존력 있는

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 予防法, 保存薬, 保存料, 防腐剤
adj. - 保存の, 保存力のある, 防腐的の

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) مادة حافظ لحفظ الأطعمه من الفساد (صفه) والقي, حافظ‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮חומר-שימור‬
adj. - ‮נוטה לשמר‬


 
 

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Copyrights:

Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Food and Nutrition. A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition. Copyright © 1995, 2003, 2005 by A. E. Bender and D. A. Bender. All rights reserved.  Read more
Food and Fitness. Food and Fitness: A Dictionary of Diet and Exercise. Copyright © 1997, 2003 by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.  Read more
Thesaurus. Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary Copyright © 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Dental Dictionary. Mosby's Dental Dictionary. Copyright © 2004 by Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. © 2006 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
Architecture. McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Architecture and Construction. Copyright © 2003 by McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
Veterinary Dictionary. Saunders Comprehensive Veterinary Dictionary 3rd Edition. Copyright © 2007 by D.C. Blood, V.P. Studdert and C.C. Gay, Elsevier. All rights reserved.  Read more
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eSpindle provides personalized spelling and vocabulary tutoring online; free trial Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Preservative" Read more
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