Standard Lemma guide

emulsifier

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ˈɪi.mʌl.sɪf.aɪ.ə(ɹ)/
  • UK: /əˈmʌl.sɪf.aɪ.ə(ɹ)/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: IH0 M AH1 L S AH0 F AY2 ER0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A substance that helps an emulsion form, or helps keep an emulsion from separating.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The lecithin in egg yolks is often used as an emulsifier.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

a surface-active agent that promotes the formation of an emulsion

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: wetting agent, wetter, surfactant, surface-active agent

Narrower terms: lecithin

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English emulsify Proto-Indo-European *-yósder. Proto-Italic *-āzios Latin -āriusnom. Latin -āriusbor. Proto-Germanic *-ārijaz Proto-West Germanic *-ārī Old English -ere Middle English -ere English -er English emulsifier From emulsify + -er.

Across languages

Translations

27 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: emulsor — substance that helps an emulsion form
  • Chinese Mandarin: 乳化劑 /乳化剂 (rǔhuàjì) — substance that helps an emulsion form
  • Czech: emulgátor — substance that helps an emulsion form
  • Dutch: emulgator — substance that helps an emulsion form
  • Estonian: emulgaator — substance that helps an emulsion form
  • Finnish: emulgointiaine — substance that helps an emulsion form
  • Finnish: emulgaattori — substance that helps an emulsion form
  • French: émulsifiant — substance that helps an emulsion form
  • French: émulseur — substance that helps an emulsion form
  • German: Emulgator — substance that helps an emulsion form
  • Greek: γαλακτωματοποιητής (galaktomatopoiitís) — substance that helps an emulsion form
  • Italian: emulsionante — substance that helps an emulsion form
  • Italian: emulsificante — substance that helps an emulsion form
  • Kazakh: майғындағыш (maiğyndağyş) — substance that helps an emulsion form
  • Portuguese: emulsificante — substance that helps an emulsion form
  • Romanian: emulgator — substance that helps an emulsion form
  • Romanian: emulsifiant — substance that helps an emulsion form
  • Romanian: emulsificator — substance that helps an emulsion form
  • Russian: эмульгатор (emulʹgator) — substance that helps an emulsion form
  • Spanish: emulgente — substance that helps an emulsion form
  • Spanish: emulsificador — substance that helps an emulsion form
  • Spanish: emulsificante — substance that helps an emulsion form
  • Spanish: emulsionante — substance that helps an emulsion form
  • Swedish: emulgeringsmedel — substance that helps an emulsion form
  • Swedish: emulgator — substance that helps an emulsion form
  • Turkish: emülgatör — substance that helps an emulsion form
  • Welsh: emylsydd — substance that helps an emulsion form