noun / verb
yeast
YEEST/jiːst/
A single-celled fungus, often involved in fermentation.
Yeast feeds on sugar and helps bread dough rise.
Etymology
Old English gist meant both “yeast” and “froth,” connecting the fungus with the foamy substance seen during fermentation.
In context
bread, it works with gluten in the flour to give the dough strength and elasticity. So, uh pop it in into the middle. To make it rise, they're using Ruth's yeast produced in the barley field.
More examples
- Brewers use yeast to turn sugar into alcohol.
- We examine a yeast cell under the microscope.
- Different yeasts give fermented foods different flavors.
Forms
yeast · yeasts · yeasted · yeasting
yeasty adjective — Containing or smelling strongly of yeast.
Similar words
- fungus
- Fungus is broader, also including molds and mushrooms.
- leaven
- Leaven raises dough but need not contain living yeast.