FER'MENT, noun [Latin fermentum, from fervo, to boil. See Fervent.]

1. A gentle boiling; or the internal motion of the constituent parts of a fluid.

[In this sense it is rarely used. See Fermentation.]

2. Intestine motion; heat; tumult; agitation; as, to put the passions in a ferment; the state of people are in a ferment

Subdue and cool the ferment of desire.

3. That which causes fermentation, as yeast, barm, or fermenting beer.

FERMENT', verb transitive [Latin fermento.]

To set in motion; to excite internal motion; to heat; to raise by intestine motion.

While youth ferments the blood.

FERMENT', verb intransitive To work; to effervesce; to be in motion, or to be excited into sensible internal motion, as the constituent particles of an animal or vegetable fluid. To the vinous fermentation we apply the term, work. We say that new cider, beer or wine ferments or works. But work is not applied to the other kinds of fermentation.