1. a substance added to another substance to make it unfit for consumption or to alter its properties
Usage: chemistry; technical

Examples

• Ethanol used for industrial purposes contains a denaturant to prevent people from drinking it.
• The laboratory added a denaturant to the alcohol to make it unsuitable for human consumption.
• Methanol is commonly used as a denaturant in denatured alcohol products.
• The denaturant gives the cleaning solution its bitter taste and unpleasant odor.
• Federal regulations require specific denaturants to be added to tax-free alcohol.
• The chemical company uses a denaturant to modify the protein’s structure for research purposes.