yeast

[ yeest ]

noun

1. any of various small, single-celled fungi of the phylum Ascomycota that reproduce by fission or budding, the daughter cells often remaining attached, and that are capable of fermenting carbohydrates into alcohol and carbon dioxide.
2. any of several yeasts of the genus Saccharomyces, used in brewing alcoholic beverages, as a leaven in baking breads, and in pharmacology as a source of vitamins and proteins. Compare bottom yeast, brewer's yeast, top yeast.
3. spume; foam.
4. ferment; agitation.
5. something that causes ferment or agitation.

verb (used without object)

1. to ferment.
2. to be covered with froth.

yeast

/ jiːst /

noun

1. any of various single-celled ascomycetous fungi of the genus Saccharomyces and related genera, which reproduce by budding and are able to ferment sugars: a rich source of vitamins of the B complex
2. any yeastlike fungus, esp of the genus Candida, which can cause thrush in areas infected with it
3. a commercial preparation containing yeast cells and inert material such as meal, used in raising dough for bread or for fermenting beer, whisky, etc See also brewer's yeast
4. a preparation containing yeast cells, used to treat diseases caused by vitamin B deficiency
5. froth or foam, esp on beer

verb

1. intr to froth or foam

yeast

/ yēst /

1. Any of various one-celled fungi that reproduce by budding and can cause the fermentation of carbohydrates, producing carbon dioxide and ethanol. There are some 600 known species of yeast, though they do not form a natural phylogenic group. Most yeasts are ascomycetes, but there are also yeast species among the basidiomycetes and zygomycetes. The budding processes in yeasts show a wide range of variations. In many yeasts, for example, the buds break away as diploid cells. Other yeasts reproduce asexually only after meiosis, and their haploid buds act as gametes that can combine to form a diploid cell, which functions as an ascus and undergoes meiosis to produce haploid spores. Still other yeasts form buds in both haploid and diploid phases. The ascomycete yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is used in baking to produce the carbon dioxide that leavens dough and batter. It has been the subject of extensive research in cell biology, and its genome was the first to be sequenced among eukaryotes. A variety of yeasts of the genus Saccharomyces are used in making beer and wine to provide alcohol content and flavor. Certain other yeasts, such as Candida albicans , are pathogenic in humans.

Derived Forms

• ˈyeastless, adjective
• ˈyeastˌlike, adjective

Other Words From

• yeastless adjective
• yeastlike adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of yeast¹

before 1000; Middle English ye ( e ) st (noun), Old English gist, gyst; cognate with Dutch gist, German Gischt yeast, foam, Old Norse jastr yeast, Greek zestós boiled, Sanskrit yásati (it) boils

Word History and Origins

Origin of yeast¹

Old English giest; related to Old Norse jostr, Old High German jesan, Swedish esa, Norwegian asa, Sanskrit yasati

Example Sentences

“He’s somebody that we all looked up to and knew about even before we got to the league,” Yeast said.

From Los Angeles Times

The process is simple: the overripe bananas are peeled, cut into small pieces, weighed, and mixed with sugar, yeast, raisins, water and covered with lemons.

From BBC

This is mainly due to the small numbers of commercial yeast available for production.

From Salon

Yeast are unicellular fungi that ferment sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide.

From Salon

For centuries, humans have used yeast, consciously or unconsciously, to produce fermented foods, such as wine, beer and bread.

From Salon

Related Words

• fungus