ZYMURGY

TileHead’s Word of the Day for 16 December 2011

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ZYMURGY  (n. pl. ZYMURGIES)

Definition(s):

1. (n.) a branch of applied chemistry dealing with fermentation, as in beer brewing or wine making

Useful information for game players:

• Front hooks: (none)
• Back hooks: (none)
• Anagrams: (none)
• Longer extensions: (none)
• Wraparounds: (none)
• Other Spellings: (none)
• Related Forms: ZYMOSIS, ZYMOTIC, ZYMOLOGY, and several other ZYMO- words

Epilogue:
This word is the last main entry in some dictionaries — though not in our Scrabble word list, of course, where both ZYZZYVA and ZZZ come after it.  The Greek zyme (“leaven”) is a part of many words relating to fermentation or the brewing process, such as ZYMOSIS (“a form of fermentation”), ZYMOLOGY (“the study of fermentation”), and ZYMOMETER (“an instrument for measuring the degree of fermentation”).  The word ZYMURGY is used widely among beer enthusiasts, especially those who craft their own HOMEBREW (“an alcoholic beverage made at home”).

Happy Friday, and cheers!

Recapping this week’s words: ZELKOVA, ZOONOSIS, ZAFTIG, and ZYMURGY

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