denature
de·na·ture
verb
add nonfissionable material to (fissionable material) so as to make unsuitable for use in an atomic bomb
modify (as a native protein) especially by heat, acid, alkali, or ultraviolet radiation so that all of the original properties are removed or diminished
make (alcohol) unfit for drinking without impairing usefulness for other purposes
Origin
Borrowed from French dénaturer. By surface analysis, de- + nature.
Related words
Word family
Broader terms
WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.