rennet

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: ren=net

CIDE DICTIONARY

rennet, n. [F. rainette, reinette, perhaps fr. raine a tree frog, L. rana, because it is spotted like this kind of frog. Cf. Ranunculus.].

 A name of many different kinds of apples. Cf. Reinette.  Mortimer.  [1913 Webster]

rennet, n. [AS. rinnan, rennan, to run, cf. gerinnan to curdle, coagulate. Run, v.].

•  The inner, or mucous, membrane of the fourth stomach of the calf, or other young ruminant.  [1913 Webster]
•  an infusion or preparation of the calf stomach lining, used for coagulating milk. The active principle in this coagulating action is the enzyme rennin.  [1913 Webster]

Cheese rennet. (Bot.) See under Cheese. -- Rennet ferment (Physiol. Chem.), the enzyme rennin, present in rennet and in variable quantity in the gastric juice of most animals, which has the power of curdling milk. The enzyme presumably acts by changing the casein of milk from a soluble to an insoluble form. -- Rennet stomach (Anat.), the fourth stomach, or abomasum, of ruminants.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

rennet, n.
1 curdled milk found in the stomach of an unweaned calf, used in curdling milk for cheese, junket, etc.
2 a preparation made from the stomach-membrane of a calf or from certain fungi, used for the same purpose.

Etymology

ME, prob. f. an OE form rynet (unrecorded), rel. to RUN