Meaning & use
an emulsifier
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountabletechnical
A substance that helps two liquids that do not usually mix, such as oil and water, to combine and stay mixed.
Grammar: Countable: use 'an emulsifier' for one, 'emulsifiers' for more than one. Often followed by 'for' or 'in' to show what it is used with.
Patterns
- an emulsifier for something
- an emulsifier in something
- add an emulsifier
Egg yolk is a natural emulsifier that holds mayonnaise together.
Many processed foods contain emulsifiers to keep the texture smooth.
The recipe uses mustard as an emulsifier for the salad dressing.
Word forms
| plural | emulsifiers |
|---|
Common combinations
- natural emulsifier
- Lecithin is a natural emulsifier found in soybeans.
- food emulsifier
- Food emulsifiers are listed on ingredient labels.
- act as an emulsifier
- Honey can act as an emulsifier in some sauces.
- emulsifier-free
- This lotion is emulsifier-free for sensitive skin.
Synonyms and how they differ
- emulsifying agent
- A more formal term for the same substance, often used in technical writing.
- stabilizer
- A stabilizer keeps a mixture from separating, but it may not actively help two liquids mix like an emulsifier does.
Word family
Commonly confused: an emulsifier or emulsion?
an emulsifier vs emulsion
An emulsion is the mixture itself; an emulsifier is the substance that helps create and stabilize it.
Practice
In mayonnaise, egg yolk acts as a(n) _____ to keep the oil and vinegar mixed.
Choose one answer.
An emulsifier helps two liquids that do not mix to combine. An emulsion is the mixture itself. A stabilizer keeps a mixture from separating but does not actively help mixing. A solvent dissolves other substances.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “an emulsifier”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.