Synonyms/Hypernyms (Ordered by Estimated Frequency) of noun saponification

1 sense of saponification

Sense 1
saponification -- (a chemical reaction in which an ester is heated with an alkali (especially the alkaline hydrolysis of a fat or oil to make soap))
       => chemical reaction, reaction -- ((chemistry) a process in which one or more substances are changed into others; "there was a chemical reaction of the lime with the ground water")